On this page I want to say thank you to all the people and institutions who accompanied, challenged and carried me over the years. Without you, much would not have been possible.
When you practice sport at the highest level, a quiet thought goes with you through every day: nobody does this alone. I understood that thought early and over time came to love it more and more. Top performance grows out of a fine web of family, clubs, coaches, doctors, sponsors, federations and companions whose names often do not appear in the headlines. Yet they are the ones who make the difference.
Family: The Foundation
My first thanks go to my family. You drove me to training in the early morning hours, you held on when I was exhausted, and you suffered with me when injuries or defeats made everyday life hard. If I have learned one thing on my way, it is this: a warm family is the foundation on which everything else can grow. Without you I would probably have pulled the plug early on. You showed me that love is not tied to results.
Coaches and Support Staff
Coaches are more than people who hand out training plans. They are often confidants, sometimes confessors, always companions. I was very lucky to work with coaches who brought not only athletic expertise but also heart and patience. They got me in shape, built me up when I felt small and kept me grounded when success lifted me off the ground for a while. That mix of strictness and closeness is a treasure I appreciate more today than I did then.
Fellow Athletes
In cycling you often sit shoulder to shoulder, sometimes pedal stroke by pedal stroke in direct competition. From this close togetherness grew friendships that reach far beyond the end of a career. You distracted me on trips, comforted me in dark rooms and pushed me along on long stretches. Your presence made the sport what it is in my memory today: a shared experience and not a lonely discipline.
Sponsors, Foundations and Federations
Modern elite sport cannot work without economic and structural support. My thanks therefore go explicitly to all the partners, sponsors and institutions who made my career possible. I would like to mention a few names as representatives, without meaning to slight anyone else.
- German Sport Aid Foundation: a reliable anchor in financial matters
- German Cycling Federation: my sporting home port for many years
- Brandenburg Olympic Training Center: professional training conditions on site
- Thuringia State Police: an employer who understood the demands of sport
- iQ-athletik: a partner in high-performance sport with high professional standards
- Leben in Balance | Rainer Jeschonek: a companion for mind and body
- Praxis Bornheim | Dr. Thomas Heddäus: medical care with heart and expertise
- der-bewusste-unternehmer.de: a supporter with a clear stance
Why Support Matters So Much in Sport
It is sometimes forgotten that competitive sport does not arise by itself. Behind every athlete stand hours of preparation, financial means, medical care and an environment that can bear the strain. Anyone who accompanies a young athlete on her way makes a contribution whose value reaches far beyond sports coverage. It is about healthy role models, about cohesion in clubs, about regional identity and about prospects for the next generation.
It has always been important to me to carry this thought outward. Supporting sport means supporting society. A club that gets children onto bikes creates more than athletic talent: it creates self-confidence, team spirit and healthy habits. That is why I am especially pleased when backers see their contribution not only as business but as a contribution to the common good. That is exactly the attitude I experienced with my partners, and for that I thank them from the heart.
A Closing Word
When I look back today, I do not see a lonely racing bike on an empty road. I see a dense web of people who carried me from the start. My thanks go to all of you, the big names as well as those who appear nowhere but were just as important. You made something of my career that is bigger than any placing. You will find more personal words on the home page, and further sporting background on My Career and Achievements and Milestones.