From the Track to Life: Gold Medal for BCS Student at ISTAF Finals in Berlin’s Olympiastadion
What does it feel like to walk through the tunnel of Berlin’s Olympiastadion—the very path once taken by sprinting legend Usain Bolt?
For our students Yonatan Mizrachi and Tamira Hinson Esnaola, that dream came true on July 2nd at this year’s ISTAF Schools Final.
After qualifying with a 30-meter sprint, the grand finale challenged the young athletes with a 50-meter dash from starting blocks—complete with the full intensity of a real track event.
The setting was iconic, the atmosphere electric—and Yonatan delivered a stunning performance. With unwavering focus and determination, he sprinted to first place in the 2014 boys’ category, claiming the gold medal and taking his well-earned spot at the top of the podium.
But for us, this moment represents more than athletic success. At Berlin Cosmopolitan School, we believe that sports offer powerful learning experiences. Competitions like ISTAF teach children essential life skills: patience, discipline, mental strength, and the understanding that effort and perseverance pay off. These experiences build resilience and confidence—qualities that support our students far beyond the field, throughout their education and lives.
We warmly congratulate Yonatan on this outstanding achievement and extend our appreciation to Tamira for her great performance. A heartfelt thank-you goes to the Mizrachi, Esnaola, and Daugs families for their support and encouragement throughout the journey—from training sessions to the big day in the stadium.
What a way to kick off the summer holidays!
About the Berlin Cosmopolitan School, Preschool and Kindergarten
The Berlin Cosmopolitan School is changing the traditional way schools and kindergartens work with different approaches to learning in the areas of nature and environmental protection, sports, new work, culture, dance, music and art and much more. The aim of the independent school, preschool and kindergarten is to bring all students along according to their abilities.
“When school motivates, everyone learns more” is the conviction of the Berlin Cosmopolitan School. Regular outdoor learning, sports activities and competitions, digital projects such as robotics, internships from grade 6, music-making from kindergarten age, dance clubs, bilingual education and much more help the children to discover and develop their own preferences and abilities.
Important concerns of the Berlin Cosmopolitan School, Kindergarten and Preschool are social justice, equal opportunities in education and a balanced community. The school regularly awards scholarships to students and accepts refugees. Through its established network and internationally trained staff, the educational institution has the opportunity to explore new educational paths for every age group.
The Berlin Cosmopolitan School was founded in 2003 as a non-profit organisation by Yvonne Wende. In 2004, the first bilingual (English-German) kindergarten and preschool opened for Berlin-Mitte with 18 children. Shortly after, the primary school started and most recently, in 2009, the accredited bilingual Gymnasium of Berlin Cosmopolitan School 01P22. Since then, the number of students has steadily increased. Approximately 1,000 students from all over the world are now being taught on the Rückerstraße and Invalidenstraße campuses. The kindergarten has grown to a number of more than 300 children between the ages of 1 and 6.
In 2013, Berlin Cosmopolitan School was accredited as an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, first for primary school and also for the Gymnasium. The IB Learner Profile is about developing children and young people into lifelong learners. The school and kindergarten use primary experiences to design lessons.
