Licia Mussinelli has been greeting visitors at reception and on the phone for a year now.
Top athlete at Schaerer reception
Her smile is the first thing you see when you enter the Schaerer building in Zuchwil: Licia Mussinelli has been greeting visitors at reception and on the phone for a year now. The 22-year-old Swiss embodies the values of her country – and the values of Schaerer AG in particular – every day. With reliability, punctuality, friendliness as well as a focus on solutions and customer service, Licia inspires guests, colleagues and of course her fans: Licia has been a racing wheelchair driver for more than ten years, and with great success. Most recently, she achieved great results at the Para Athletics World Championships in Paris. She told us how she manages to combine work and sports and what goals she wants to achieve.
Full of energy and talent
Licia was introduced to wheelchair racing in 2011 and it quickly became her passion. Today, after winning numerous medals and two junior championship titles, she is gradually becoming one of the elite of Swiss lightweight wheelchair athletes. It was only in July this year that she had the chance to see how the professionals do it. Together with nine athletes – eight of them wheelchair racers – Licia travelled from Switzerland to Paris for the largest parasport event in 2023, the Para Athletics World Championships. A total of 1700 athletes from 120 nations competed. ”I had mostly planned to gain experience and learn from my experienced colleagues. The fact that I made it to the final round for the 100 metres race surprised me”, Licia says. But anyone following her career would hardly be surprised, as it is precisely the sprint to middle distances of 100, 400, 800 and 1500 metres where Licia really shines. She was unable to compete in the final due to medical reasons. But she already has her sights set on the next World Championships in Japan at the end of May 2024.
Best times are only possible with hard training
Licia trains for ten to twelve hours every week. She has also successfully completed an apprenticeship in business administration and attaches great importance to her career. The 60% workload at Schaerer means she can combine the two: “In the summer, I spend my days off on the racetrack and in the winter on the training equipment. I also do strength training”. This hard and constant training is what makes it possible for her to set new personal best times. Since Schaerer is very flexible with Licia’s schedule, her job gives her enough time for her athletic goals. Alternating weekly, she works either two or three days and shares the job with a colleague. Licia appreciates the challenge at work as much as on the field. ”I like dealing with customers – at Schaerer this is done with a lot of respect. The goal of all employees is complete customer satisfaction”.