A roundabout way onto the bike.
Back in 1988, I discovered the outdoors on a tricycle. From ballet, judo, swimming and motorcycling, I eventually found my way to cycling – and when my hometown club, RSC Schönaich, spotted me during the school holiday sports program in 1998, things moved quickly uphill from there. Setbacks never stopped me; they only made me stronger.
Finding stability on the bike.
In November 2000 I lost a fellow club member – an unbearable silence settled over everything. Cycling became my way of working through the grief. Already in 2001 I finished second at the German Road Championships and became German Cyclo-Cross Champion.
A master's certificate instead of a diploma.
My high school wouldn't tolerate the time I missed for training, and boarding school wasn't an option for my parents. So I left school and trained as a refrigeration technician – hoping it would leave room for sport. After the 2003 Junior World Championships, I made the heavy-hearted decision to quit road racing: an eating disorder and outside pressure had become too much. I kept riding for the sheer joy of it – just because.
Back – and straight to German champion.
In 2006 I bought my first own mountain bike, in 2007 friends talked me into my first marathon race – and I immediately became German Amateur Champion. In 2008 I became German Champion on the mountain bike for the first time, even though the newly crowned Olympic champion Sabine Spitz was at the start. Racing fever was back.
Self-employed – and my own team.
Alongside my master craftsman studies and my job, I got my racing license back. In 2011 I took time off for technique training and became self-employed as a certified building energy consultant. I realized how much your environment shapes your success – and in 2012 I laid the foundation for my own team and my second business.
Family and peak form – at the same time.
My sons were born in 2015 and 2017 – with Marco by my side as husband, father and mechanic. Against many critical voices, 2018 and 2019 became the best years of my career: in 2019 I stood on a World Cup podium. Now the goal was the Olympics.
The Olympics – against all odds.
In 2020, Covid turned everything upside down and cost me strength and nerves. But every new challenge holds an opportunity, and giving up was never an option. With another German championship title, I fought my way – despite missing sponsors and my day job – all the way to Tokyo: the 2021 Olympics. As a mother and a self-employed businesswoman, that was perhaps my greatest achievement.
Bringing others forward.
In 2021 my daughter Annabell was born – the family was complete. In 2023 I got back on the pedals once more: more German championship titles and a strong European Championship result, with three children cheering from the sidelines. And I noticed how my goal was shifting. Today, I want to nurture others – my children, my clients, my businesses – so that as many people as possible can benefit from what I've learned as a therapist, expert and speaker.
My doing. My success. And my wish that you walk your own path just the same.