Joana Canana, a CIÊNCIAS student: finding the balance between University and high-performance sport

Running, thinking, deciding. All at the same time. In orienteering, finishing first is not just about speed: it requires interpreting a map, reading the terrain, choosing the best route, and staying calm when things do not go as planned. For a Ciências ULisboa student who balances six days of training a week with classes, coursework and exams, this ability to make decisions under pressure is also a valuable lesson for academic life.

After representing Portugal at the World University Orienteering Championships, where she achieved 14th place in the sprint relay event, she speaks to us about the demands of competing at the highest level while being a student, the discipline required to balance sport and university, and what orienteering has taught her about focus, resilience and overcoming challenges. It is a conversation about maps and choices, but also about finding the right path when challenges arise.

For someone who has never heard of orienteering, how would you explain the sport?
Orienteering is about completing a course in the shortest possible time, but without a predefined route to follow. We are only given a map with a number of control points and a compass. It is up to us to analyse the terrain and decide, in real time, the best route to reach the next point as quickly as possible. That is what makes the sport so challenging: it is not just about running, it is also about thinking constantly.

How do you organise your day-to-day life to balance university studies and high-level competition?
I try to plan my week in a way that allows me to balance classes, group assignments, training sessions and my social life. It is not always easy, but when you set clear priorities, everything tends to fall into place. In practice, I am the one who creates my own training schedule. I have a weekly training plan that I need to follow and, because much of the training can be done independently, I often end up training on my own and at the times that suit me best. Many times I train in the morning to get it done early, and then attend classes in the afternoon, still leaving time to spend with friends. On other occasions, I take my training equipment with me to the Faculty and, straight after classes, head to the track because there is usually company at that time, as it is when my club trains. Even at weekends, when I am competing away from home, I always find some time to work on assignments or study.

How do you prepare for a competition? How many hours do you train, and what does your training involve?
I train six days a week. Running is the main focus, but I also do strength training sessions and, at weekends, I dedicate time to the technical side of the sport, particularly map-reading training.

What skills, apart from physical fitness, do you consider essential?
The ability to translate the two-dimensional symbols on a map into the three-dimensional reality of the terrain in the blink of an eye. Staying calm is also crucial: if we make a mistake and panic, we become even more lost. We need the composure to stop, relocate ourselves and carry on. Another key skill is choosing a route and trusting that decision all the way through, without hesitation.

What does it mean to represent the University of Lisbon and Portugal in an international competition?
It is both a privilege and a responsibility.

Have any of the skills or experiences gained at university helped you in orienteering? And conversely, has the sport made you a better student?
In the other direction, orienteering has made me a much more focused and resilient student. This sport teaches us, competition after competition, how to deal with frustration, because things do not always go according to plan, and you need to recover quickly from mistakes rather than letting them discourage you. That ability to stay focused under pressure, even when something goes wrong, translates directly to exam periods: I have learned not to panic when faced with an obstacle, but instead to regroup and continue working with the same determination I use to find the next control point on a map.

What goals did you set for yourself going into the World University Orienteering Championships?
I prefer not to set high expectations in terms of results, because things usually work out better that way. I know I trained extensively and that I was well prepared. My goal was to complete clean races, with as few mistakes as possible and as much determination as I could bring, and, of course, to make the most of the experience while surrounded by outstanding international athletes.

How did it go?
Overall, the competitions went well. The standard of competition was extremely high, with elite athletes from countries where orienteering is particularly well developed. The events were also very well organised, with high-quality maps and carefully designed courses, which made the experience even more challenging. My best result came in the sprint relay event, where, competing for Team Portugal, we achieved 14th place. In the other events, I completed solid races, although there were still some mistakes and moments of hesitation. At this level, when you make an error, it is very difficult to achieve a top result, even if you are in excellent physical condition. The margin for error is extremely small, and any hesitation can cost many places in the rankings.

What message would you give to students who would like to take part in university sport but are worried about balancing it with their studies?
Take the leap and give it a try! Sport will not take time away from your studies. On the contrary, it will give you the structure and mental energy you need to perform much better when you sit down with your books. The Faculty of Sciences strongly supports its student-athletes, and the university sports community is incredible. Sport helps us unwind from academic stress and makes our university experience far richer and more fulfilling. For me, it is extremely rewarding to feel that I can be an athlete while also enjoying university life just like any of my classmates: attending lectures, spending time with friends and making the most of the university experience. It is absolutely worth it! I can find time for everything, so you can too.