Alica Schmidt, the German track star frequently referred to as the “world’s sexiest athlete,” has made a career out of challenging the boundaries between elite sports and global celebrity.
While her Instagram feed is a masterclass in curated aesthetics for her 5.5 million followers, her recent “candid” series is a calculated effort to humanize the grueling life of a professional runner.
By sharing “the picture no one got to see,” Schmidt is addressing a growing conversation in digital media: the disconnect between the polished highlights of an influencer and the grit required to compete at the Olympic level.
In her latest post, the 27-year-old athlete pulled back the curtain on her glamorous image.
She contrasted a high-fashion shot featuring a tropical drink—seen by millions—with unpolished outtakes from colder, less “Instagrammable” training environments.
One slide featured Schmidt in a thong and tight-fitting top, a staple of the “world’s sexiest athlete” persona that first went viral in 2017 after a profile by an Australian magazine.
However, the follow-up images showed her bundled in a fur coat against a snowy mountain backdrop and a self-admitted “delete” outtake, emphasizing that for every perfect frame, dozens of less-than-perfect moments are discarded.
“A picture is only a picture,” Schmidt concluded in her caption. “It never captures all the perspective.”
This sentiment resonated deeply with her peers, including fellow middle-distance runner Smilla Kolbe and Slovakian star Gabriela Gajanova, who noted they loved the “second ones [the outtakes] even more”.
Despite the “sexy” moniker, Schmidt has been vocal about her priority: the track. She has famously turned down six-figure sponsorship deals from brands she didn’t believe in, choosing to live on a modest stipend from the German national team rather than compromise her integrity.
Her athletic resume is more than just social media fodder:
- Olympic Legacy: Schmidt was part of the German 4x400m relay team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
- New Disciplines: In 2025, she began transitioning from her signature 400m to the 800m, clocking a personal best of 2:03.99.
- Grit over Glamour: Schmidt frequently shares the physical toll of her training, admitting to the World Athletics and various podcasts that she often pushes herself to the point of physical illness during sessions.
Schmidt’s ability to bridge the gap between sport and fashion is rare. As a global ambassador for BOSS, she has walked the catwalk at Milan Fashion Week and launched her own capsule collection.
Yet, she maintains a “sport-first” mentality, often stating that social media is a “hobby” that accidentally became a job.
As she sets her sights on the 2025 indoor season and beyond, Schmidt remains one of the most influential figures in track and field, proving that you can be a “BOSS” in both a designer gown and a pair of running spikes.