December 13, 2023, 10:16 am | Read time: 3 minutes
The brand-new documentary FITBOOK Everyday Athletes offers exclusive insights into the challenging daily life of Wiebke Schwartau, a player for Alba Berlin. Despite impressive athletic achievements, Schwartau faces the reality of not being able to make a living from her sport. The documentary provides an up-close look at how she balances basketball, her studies, and modeling jobs. Watch Part 2 of the documentary now!
Why does a Basketball Bundesliga player also study, model, and work on her own fashion collection? It’s simple: because she doesn’t have financial security from her sport. FITBOOK followed Alba Berlin player Wiebke Schwartau for the documentary Everyday Athletes, highlighting the challenges the 24-year-old faces.
Overview
Fashion for 6-foot-5 Women? Wiebke Schwartau Takes It into Her Own Hands
Part 1 of the documentary FITBOOK Everyday Athletes showed how basketball positively impacted Wiebke Schwartau’s self-confidence during her childhood and youth. Something “unpleasant” turned into an advantage on the basketball court, and the team spirit gave her strength. Emotional statements also highlighted the financial dilemma faced by top female basketball players like Schwartau in Germany. They cannot make a living from the sport and are almost invariably subjected to the dual or triple burden of jobs and/or studies.
This dilemma is also addressed in Part 2 of the documentary about Wiebke Schwartau. Due to financial insecurity, Wiebke is building additional career paths through modeling and her own fashion collection. FITBOOK accompanied her to a photo shoot and a boutique. There, the 6-foot-5 woman works with a Berlin designer duo on her own collection–for tall women. They face everyday hurdles like shopping, where nothing fits if you deviate from so-called standard sizes. Wiebke Schwartau visibly hurt, reports on strange looks and inappropriate, insulting comments she experiences daily in public, “especially when I wear high heels.”
Also interesting: Documentary offers rare insights into the life of German football player Giancarlo Boone
Part 2 of the Documentary About Wiebke Schwartau–Now Online!
Convinced that she is not alone in this experience, Wiebke Schwartau took the opportunity to participate in Heidi Klum’s TV show “Germany’s Next Top Model.” She wants to bring tall women into the public eye and advocate for them. In the documentary, Wiebke Schwartau talks about her most nerve-wracking modeling experience at GNTM on a staircase in Mykonos. She also shares her hopes for the future–for women in basketball, tall women, and herself personally.
Watch the FITBOOK Everyday Athletes documentary with Wiebke Schwartau now–video above!