Althaus: “With the RYT App, talents can prepare better”

Three-time EHF Champions League winner and long-standing RYT ambassador Anja Althaus joined the second RYT event this summer to meet with 50 participants from the Women’s 19 EHF Championship 2025 in Georgia — the players who received the “Player of the Match” award during the competition. With an outstanding career on court and continuous involvement in RYT activities throughout the years, Anja Althaus offered valuable advice to the young players, whose development is at the centre of the programme.

“I like to share my experience and advice that you have to fight every day, and that there will be moments when it won’t be easy, but you never give up. After the downs, the ups always follow. I always had to jump into unknown situations and see if I could swim, and find out how things worked,” said Althaus, highlighting the difficulties faced at the start of a handball career.

Since its launch in 2019, the RYT programme has been pivotal to assisting young handball players, offering the necessary educational resources for a healthy development, as well as helpful tools to manage the transition to a professional handball career at the highest level. In 2024, the programme was enriched with the RYT App, a digital tool designed to offer even more support to players in need.

The platform quickly became an essential addition to the programme, as the young players have the chance to interact even more with experienced professionals and take the next steps to elevate their careers — an opportunity that Althaus would have liked to experience. 

“At the beginning of my career, I would have loved this opportunity to talk with former players, and be part of such a project as RYT. Now, thanks to this programme and the Respect Your Talent App, talents have so many more opportunities to prepare better and get informed,” added the former line player.

The RYT App offers a wide collection of online training sessions, covering topics such as nutrition — a recent addition to the platform — mental fitness, dual career, sports law, anti-doping and media, all part of the holistic development of handball players. However, the digital resources are available for everyone interested in learning about these subjects, as anyone can download and use the app — accessible via the App Store and Google Play Store — or register for the training sessions.

“I would really recommend that young players use the RYT App to work on their skills. As I always tell the girls: Ask questions! Take control of your career and be proactive. They can do all of that with the help of this app,” advised the three-time EHF Champions League winner when talking about the platform.

Among the players who took part in the Player of the Match (POTM) event in Telavi was Ukrainian star Liubov Rosokha, who later lifted the W19 EHF Championship 2025 trophy and received two awards — best centre back and MVP of the tournament. Having the chance to discuss with an experienced professional such as Anja Althaus offered her the insights and motivation necessary to keep working towards achieving her goals.

“It was really helpful. We heard real stories from Anja with her sports experience, and it gave me new motivation and helped me see things differently. I understood that every mistake is part of the journey, and the most important thing is to keep going,” admitted the 19-year-old player.

Meeting your heroes is an unforgettable experience, especially for a young handball star who is just at the start of their career, as Georgian left wing Tekla Dzamunashvili reveals: “I really enjoyed the POTM event with Anja. She has been one of my favourite players since I started watching handball. It was great to have a chance to speak with her to gain more knowledge and hear some great advice.”

Taking part in the RYT session proved to have a deeper meaning for the rising talents, whose skills and efforts received the deserved recognition. “On the other hand, it was a very special moment for me, and I think for all the players, to be recognised for our effort. We all try to give our 100 per cent on the court in each game for our country, but it is an extremely proud moment when you get the POTM award,” added Dzamunashvili.

The core of the RYT activities is centred around the “game around the game” — the concepts that are not visible on court but are part of the career of an elite athlete. The RYT event in Georgia was the second out of four scheduled this summer, and a total of 314 participants will have taken part in these sessions. All of them will continue to be part of the RYT programme, with invitations to camps and access to online training sessions.

Interacting with the young generation has been inspirational for ambassador Anja Althaus too, who applauds the dedication of the players.

“Interacting with the players was great. I was most impressed by their love of handball and how happy it makes them. And their hunger for more. It made me happy, and I can't wait to see them on big stages again soon,” concluded Althaus.

Photos © Gigalo