Ariane Clerc is many things. She holds citizenship in the United States, France, and the United Kingdom. She’s pursuing a Master's in Data Management and Business Analytics at EDHEC Business School while working as a Developer at FacilityApps. And she is a former high-level athlete in soccer, basketball, and lacrosse, which led her to play a sport that combines skills from all three: Handball. 

Ariane comes from a family of handball players. Her father played in school in France, and her grandfather played for 17 years there. Had Ariane grown up in France, she might have followed a similar path, as the sport is widespread overseas. 

Born in the UK, Ariane’s family relocated to Ohio when she was 5, and that opened the door to a more typical journey for a U.S. handball player—first excelling in many related sports as a child, then committing to handball in college. Ariane played for The Ohio State University, one of a handful of American colleges with a women’s team, before landing a spot on the U.S. Women’s Senior National Team, where she plays today. 

If you could meet Ariane, which I had the pleasure of doing, you would not be surprised to learn that it doesn’t stop there. She also plays for HV Volendam, in the Netherlands, where she is currently based. 

I asked Ariane to let us in on the ways she is able to maintain such a dizzying level of performance when it comes to both athletics and academics. 

WSN: What is the number one thing you do to take care of yourself? 

Ariane Clerc: I'll start with sleep because it is a huge priority to me. I am always aiming for more than eight hours a night. I’ve seen a lot of research that shows how much the risk of injury goes up, even averaging six to seven hours a night (1). I know I need that deep sleep so my muscles can recover so I focus on staying consistent with sleep and wake times. My friends call me a “grandma” often because I go to bed early! But I won’t budge on my bedtime. 

Along with that comes trying to reduce stress as much as I can. Balancing work, school, and handball is a lot. The key is to plan my schedule in advance, otherwise I won’t be able to manage it all.

Generally I will dedicate certain days to school or work, so I have that focus. I will also treat the days I’m doing schoolwork like a regular workday, blocking out nine to five. That way I’m not doing homework late at night. 

I also try not to do schoolwork on the weekends so I can have time to rest and relax.  

WSN: How do you fit in nutrition? 

Ariane Clerc: Being an engineer, I don’t have a background in nutrition, but I am a data person. I treat my nutrition like an experiment and pay attention to how my body responds. For instance, I recently started taking creatine, and I saw through my Whoop fitness tracker that my heart rate variability and recovery scores have been consistently much higher, so I will continue with it. 

WSN: How does protein play a role in your diet? 

Ariane Clerc: I try to get 120 grams of protein each day by anchoring my snacks and meals with protein and paying attention to the proportions on my plate. For instance, I’ll have Greek yogurt or eggs with breakfast and then know that I'm having meat at both lunch and dinner. 

I know I need carbs before training, and after practice I switch to protein—my go-to is a peanut butter banana smoothie. What someone else eats before practice might work great for them, but not for me—I learned that lesson the hard way after powering through practice with a heavy stomach. You have to do what works for you.

WSN: What are you most looking forward to in the future? 

Ariane Clerc: With Team USA we have chances to qualify for the Pan American Games and the World Championships in 2027. And then, of course, the Olympics in 2028. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to developing as much as I can at the club level.