Alumnus Brendan Reilly (IES Abroad Vienna | Fall 1979), a sports agent for Olympic athletes, joined IES Abroad’s Director, Advancement & Annual Giving, Meghan Reilly to discuss how studying abroad transformed his personal, athletic, and professional trajectory. Brendan also shares advice for college athletes interested in studying abroad. Read on for excerpts and be sure to watch the video to see the entire interview.
IES Abroad: What first motivated you to study abroad and why did you choose Vienna?
Brendan Reilly (BR): The interest to study abroad was just curiosity to do something different. I liked Boston College where I was, but I was looking for some new kind of experience. I couldn't really pinpoint it…Vienna presented the opportunity to start a language from scratch. The classes were in English, but you could start a new language and add on, like the cultural aspects there, which I wanted to explore again, between my sports and my Math major and Russian, it wasn't like I explored much in terms of art history or music, and just curious to try those studies as well. So, Vienna was the full package.
IES Abroad: What about your athletic background influenced your decision or mindset for study abroad?
BR:…if you're an individual [versus team] athlete…you have a lot more flexibility to go overseas and try things. When I got to Vienna, I realized I had no idea what I was doing. I just started running around. At first, they were going to put me out near the Vienna Woods for my host family, but it was going to be a brutal commute to school every day, so they put me in the second district, right across from the canal where IES [Abroad] is. And then I stumbled upon this running club. It's called The Lauf und Conditions Club right on the bank of the Danube. [I] Just walked in, introduced myself, met the coach, and that suddenly gave me a way to continue running competitively. I was in Vienna.
IES Abroad: So many student athletes worry they can't study abroad without falling behind in their sport or team life, what would you say to them?
BR: If you're a team athlete on a scholarship, you have your obligations. You know they're paying your tuition, they're covering things. You're kind of obligated there. But if we come back to the idea of particularly if you're in an individual sport, I think you want to take opportunities like this. You want to get in a new training environment. You want to try new training partners. Maybe you'll meet a coach like I did with Adolph Gruber, with a much different idea of training compared to your college coach. So all that opens up to you in a new way. I'd say also, even if you are in team sport, don't automatically dismiss the idea of studying abroad. You know you could do it for a semester if you're on baseball, and go do the autumn abroad, if you're on soccer, do your spring abroad or do a summer semester. I think there's a way to do this and keep that balance, no, keep the commitments to your team back home, but also get the enriching experience of being abroad for a while.
IES Abroad: Why should college athletes consider studying abroad today?
BR: Oh, there's two sides to it. One is the studies, and one is being an athlete abroad. I think as a student, people should be doing this just because it's one of the great adventures of your life, I think, more often than not, it's going to change your life for the good, and it [might make you think] "Oh, I thought I wanted to do this, but now I realized I love art history, or I love classical music, but I'm kind of interested in psychology now," and just the environment of walking out your door every day...it's just that feeling every day of stepping out your door in this totally foreign environment, and you get a bit of a rush...As an athlete, I mentioned this earlier, it never hurts anybody, particularly now in 2026 to be out there, training in a new environment, competing in a new environment, meeting new athletes, working with new coaches.
IES Abroad: Now you're a sports agent working with Olympic athletes. How did your time abroad shape your approach to your career and working in global sports?
BR: I would say there's a pretty direct connection. I did my semester in Vienna [and] although I had done an earlier trip abroad when I was 15 years old, it's that semester in Vienna and training there and running there and doing a race with foreigners [that] made me think a different way about where my career was going. As a Math major, I'd been thinking, maybe I'll be an actuary. Maybe I'll do something with mathematics. But what ended up happening is, I got back from Vienna senior year, [and] I took a part time job with a company called Marathon Tours. I was their first employee, and they brought people to marathons all over the world. This is really great for me, you know, it kind of combined two of my interests: travel and racing.
IES Abroad: Looking back, what's one piece of advice you wish you'd been given before or during your study abroad experience?
BR: Stay longer. That's simple. I stayed for just a semester, and I regret it. And regretted it as the years went on…I really wish I'd taken eight months rather than four months in Vienna.
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Watch the full video here to learn more about Brendan's career trajectory with the help of study abroad.
Check out all of our Alumni Spotlights to see real examples of how study abroad changed the lives and careers of our past students.
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