Six-time footbag world champion performs at the museum

Zurich-born <a href="http://www.tinaaeberli.ch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tina Aeberli</a>, 26, is a mother of two who is finishing up her medical degree this summer. She’s also a footbag sensation with six world championship titles and eight European championship titles to her name. As part of a special exhibition on StreetFootballArt, held to mark International Museum Day on 22 May, Tina will be visiting the museum to showcase her skills and to help visitors pick up a few new tricks too. You can see a selection of her footbag tricks in the video below, or scroll down for the Q[&]A. <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NuoOByWaPIU" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> Hi Tina, at just 26 you already have an incredible number of titles! What’s your secret? I just really like the sport! I practiced a lot when I was 14, which is probably the best age to start because you pick it up very fast. You don’t need a lot of space or special equipment, you can do it during school breaks, waiting for the bus – I always had a footbag with me. I never focused on getting good but when I participated in tournaments I noticed that I was already in the top league! Did you realise straight away that you had a natural talent for the sport? No, I didn’t! I’m quite a sporty person, so I thought I would be faster than some people but I didn’t know it would go this way. I knew footbag existed and what it was but I had never really tried it. Then at a sports camp, there was a footbag workshop and basically I had to practice for a week. I liked it and, although it was very hard, after a week I had learned the basics. </figure> From Paris to San Francisco - footbag has taken you all over the world. Do you have a favourite memory? Maybe my first big tournament outside of Switzerland; the World Championship in Helsinki, 2005. I was new to the tournament scene and travelling alone but I have great memories. I competed in three disciplines, winning two and getting second in the other. It was competitive but very friendly among the players; they were welcoming and I like that it’s not just about the sport but also the circle of friends. <div class="standalone_text">INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM DAY: WHAT'S ON? - GRAFFITI EXHIBITION by ONE TRUTH - PHOTO EXHIBITION of urban football landscapes - STREET DANCE SHOW [&] WORKSHOP with KELECHI ONYELE - FOOTBAG SHOW [&] WORKSHOP with world champion TINA AEBERLI - STREET FOOD in the museum’s Bistro" </div> How often do you practice? And are you still competing internationally? I still do it regularly but I don’t have so much time for it anymore. I am in my final phase of my studies, which takes up a lot of my time, and I have two little children. I go to training sessions, I practice maybe three times a week, and I still go to the important tournaments. My goal is to go to the world championships again and to win, again. Did playing football encourage you to try footbag? I like to do things with my feet and a ball so maybe playing football helped to get me into it. I still like to play football but these days only with my friends. My favourite team is Barcelona because of their history and the way they play – very skillful and technical. Finally, what can visitors expect from your performance at the museum? I will do a footbag routine with music – like I would at competitions – then a session with some footbag clubs from Zurich. It’s difficult to say what we will do with the visitors because it’s hard to know their level, but I expect a talented group as I guess they will be interested in football and might be used to juggling with their feet. <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bM3MjuwCKQw" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> Tomorrow we will be speaking to another peformer in the build up to International Museum Day, so make sure to come back!