Athlete information
Triathlon is the new marathon, and breaking boundaries is the ultimate status symbol. Success and progress are based on perseverance, concentration and frustration tolerance. Extreme sports such as triathlon are therefore ideally suited to train these qualities.
Each distance has its own special charm and is a challenge. For me, however, IRONMAN is the top class and the ultimate test of endurance. In 2022 in Klagenfurt, after a sports break of several years and plenty of laissez-faire, I was able to break the 10-hour "sound barrier" after one year of training. Despite a non-wetsuit race due to the sweltering heat with over 35 degrees above the ground, I also became the best Austrian in my age group with 09 hours 55 minutes.
Since I am always setting myself new, utopian goals, I wanted to make the impossible possible to tackle Mission Sub9 Klagenfurt in 2023, self-coached, all by my own. Being able to achieve this in such a short time, with just another year of training, was denied by many sides and people watched me and my training with suspicious eyes. Even the NADA was interested in me and so I had to undergo an unannounced doping test at home shortly before the competition. IRONMAN Austria 2023 started great and Sub9 was possible for sure. After a 55min swim and 40 kilometers per hour average speed until kilometer 50, a technical damage on the bike caused a 20min standstill. After repair work was finished, I continued, pushed hard all alone without the fast group in order to make it up best I can. As the 8 on the counter was anyhow out of reach, just enjoying the run, chatting and fooling around with my fellows with a big smile on my face was key. I felt great when I turned into the finish line, crossed it in 09 hours 26minutes full of emotions and constantly motivated by the cheering crowd. I’m happy with the result, because I invested lots of time and energy the last months, showed what I can do and qualified for the IRONMAN World Championship 2023 in Nizza, France.
I run an import export trading company which I founded in 2016. Beside work, I’m into good food, wine tasting, sightseeing and love to spend my free time very actively.
The primary goal is to get everything under one roof. Thinking that after day X the training stress has an end and there’s time to go to bed earlier sounds lovely, but the adrenaline makes this sport addictive and so I usually look for a new challenge right away that doesn't really let me rest.
communicative, reliable, enthusiastic, determined
In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take.