OUTDOOR SOCIETY - Key Persons

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• Manager Sponsoring

Cuban Ana Quirot was the dominant runner in the 400 and 800 meters in the late 1980s. Between 1987 and 1990, she remained consistently unbeaten in the 800 meters. In 1993, a kerosene stove exploded in her kitchen, seriously injuring her. Ana, heavily pregnant, suffered third-degree burns on nearly 40 percent of her body and struggled for her life in the hospital for a long time. During this time, her daughter was born prematurely and died after barely a week. Seven major operations to transplant the skin and treat the wounds later, Ana fought her way back into life and also restarted her athletic career. After two years of healing, she took part in the 1995 World Championships in Gothenburg and confidently won her supreme discipline again in the 800 meters. Olympic silver followed in 1996 and another world championship title in 1997.

Ariane Stäubli is one of the few female mountain guides in the world. She battles high peaks - and steep prejudices. A conversation about gender roles on the mountain

Aries Merritt was one of the top hurdlers who not only won the Olympics in 2012 but also set a world record in the 110 metre hurdles. But then his stellar career suddenly came to an end. The U.S. sprinter could no longer call up his top performances, which was incomprehensible to him and the rest of the world - until a test diagnosed a rare gene disease. It was attacking his kidney and had already damaged his bone marrow. Doctors had little hope that he could ever return to his former athletic successes. But with the certainty of a treatment option, ambition returned. Aries Merrit persevered and resumed his usual training in 2014. With success, because in 2015 he won bronze at the World Championships in Beijing. He competed under difficult conditions: Immediately after the tournament, he went back to the hospital, where he received a kidney transplant donated by his sister.

BEAR GRYLLS published his book "Mind Fuel - Simple Ways to Build Mental Resilience Every Day" in 2022. As the adventurer has already overcome various extraordinarily dangerous obstacles, you might think that mental health problems are a foreign concept to him. Susanna Reid, presenter of Good Morning Britain, even described the adventurer as "rock solid".

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• Media Relations & Communication

Chloe Kim got off to an early start: At just 17, she won Olympic gold in snowboarding in 2018, making her the youngest ever winner in the halfpipe. Shortly after, she spoke publicly about her fears and the depression that made it impossible for her to perceive this victory as a positive feeling. After leaving the podium, she threw her gold medal into the dustbin. For a long time, the Asian-American athlete had to suffer from racist discrimination, some of which came from fellow athletes and officials. After therapy, she decided to stop hiding her doubts and negative experiences. She became a loud voice for inclusion and diversity in sports, advocating for the issues of her generation outside of sports. To do so, she doesn't shy away from publicity or new avenues: to spread her message more broadly in society, she participated in "The Masked Singer" in America and campaigned for more representation of Asian-Americans.

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• Managing Director

Chris Bate, Managing Director Europe at Under Armour said, "UA is very impressed with Yusra Mardini's life performance and willpower, both as a human being and as an athlete: "The way she has dealt with life's great challenges and the strength she has demonstrated many times in different areas is unique."

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• Lead Brand Strategy & Communication

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• International Sales

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• Engineer

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• Author

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• Category Manager Sportsfashion Health & Fitness

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• Artist

Danny MacAskill is the artist among the trial bikers - not only because of his acrobatic stunts, but also because of the style of his YouTube videos. On December 23 the bike virtuoso turns 35. These are the secrets of success of the Scotsman on the bike and on the web. Scot Danny MacAskill has become world famous for his bike tricks.

Duncan Carmichael is probably not such a bad person. But to hunt a 13-year-old with police siren and lights just because he's jumping over a large teddy from the bulky waste with his bike without any lights was pretty nasty. To read to him his rights just like in the movies ("...I am temporarily arresting you for dangerous driving. Everything you say from now on ...") and to drag to juvenile court was crazy. But to take away his bike for the rest of the summer holidays was really mean; it was like only allowing Roger Federer to play badminton. On the other hand, you have to understand Duncan Carmichael: What's a rural policeman in a 350-soul village supposed to do with himself all day long? And this bicycle junkie, dangerously jumping around on sidewalks, stairs and railings made everyone flinch, had been on his mind for a long time. Duncan Carmichael never thought that this nuisance would become a world-famous extreme athlete and YouTube star one day. Why would he? YouTube was invented years later - luckily for Danny MacAskill. Otherwise, he'd probably still be a bicycle mechanic today.

Francis Ngannou comes from Cameroon. He grew up in the poorest of circumstances, had little access to education and began working at the age of 10. Out of disgust for his father, a street fighter, he refused to join one of the local gangs as a teenager. Nevertheless, at the age of 22, he developed an interest in boxing and began training. At the age of 26, he fled to Europe, where he spent the first two months in prison in Spain after entering illegally. From there he moved to Paris. He spent the first time homeless, but then met the professional MMA fighter Francis Carmont. The latter rekindled the love for boxing in him and convinced him to switch to MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). Through Carmont, Francis met his future coach. Fernand Lopez, also from Cameroon and a former MMA fighter, recognized the young man's potential and not only trained him for free, but also let him sleep in the gym. Francis took advantage of this opportunity and became the first UFC heavyweight champion from Africa in 2021. Out of gratitude, he is now involved in helping children in his home country. The Francis Ngannou Foundation now runs the first MMA studio in Cameroon and is primarily aimed at children who would otherwise end up on the streets.

JACKIE BAUMANN might have competed for Germany in the 400-metre hurdles at the Tokyo Olympics. Baumann was German champion in the discipline in 2015 and 2016, and in 2020 she was considered the favourite at the national championships at the time. However, at just 24 years of age, the daughter of 5000-meter Olympic champion Dieter Baumann ended her career just a few days before the championships. She cited mental reasons for her decision, saying that she had not been able to enjoy competitions and that they had put a strain on her and had a negative impact on her mental health. In the end, she was no longer prepared to withstand the pressure, she told Deutschlandfunk radio at the time about her surprising move. "At some point, you can't get out of the spiral, you're trapped in your own head." Insomnia, rapid irritability, retching and even vomiting were her symptoms before competitions. The problems became severe around her participation in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio - Baumann avoided a repeat of this pressure in Tokyo by retiring.

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• Information Center Poland

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• Security Manager

Australian Kelly Cartwright was training for a promising career in netball at age 15 when she received a harrowing diagnosis: Bone cancer. It grew so quickly that doctors recommended amputation above the knee. After the arduous rehab process, Kelly quickly realized that she would not be able to play netball at her old level with the prosthesis. Instead of anger and sadness, she chose ambition. She turned to running and, with her father, built a track on her own doorstep to train on. She was so focused on being able to play sports again that she entered her very first competition after her surgery with her walking prosthesis - she didn't yet know that walking prostheses existed. In 2007, Australia brought her into the young talent program for the 2012 Paralympics, but she already qualified for Beijing 2008, where she finished 6th in the 100 metre dash. In 2011, she followed that up with gold in the sprint and long jump at the IPC Athletics World Championships, even setting a world record. She broke that record herself at the London Paralympics in 2012, also taking silver in the 100 meters. In 2009, she also became the first woman with an above-the-knee amputation to climb Mount Everest. Following her sporting successes, she took part in the Australian version of "Dancing with the Stars" to further raise awareness of the issue of amputation.

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• Sourcing

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• Exhibition Director ISPO Munich & OutDoor by ISPO
• Project Consultant at Messe München

LINDSEY VONN, winter sports hero and Olympic gold medal winner, has suffered from depression since her teenage years, even though she always felt there was nothing wrong with her - today she says that although she has depression, there is still nothing wrong with her. Especially in sports, mental health problems are stigmatized, as it is seemingly impossible to be strong in sports and still have weaknesses at the same time. And that's why she speaks out. Lindsey talks publicly about her illness and her road to recovery to normalize depression and other mental illnesses. What Lindsey Vonn is doing today

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• Professional
• the Mountain Bike Soloist

Lukas Kaufmann is a professional mountain biker. And for the last six years, he has deliberately been without a team. As a one-man team, the 26-year-old tours Europe's biggest marathon races, finishing third last season in front of Corona at the legendary Salzkammergut Trophy. He said he realized early on that he was drawn to the long haul, even though many still thought he was too young. The problem: "There is no team in Austria that can really offer professional conditions". So, barely 20 years old, he started his solo mission. At that time, that meant working 25 to 30 hours a week to be able to afford training, travelling and competitions at all. First with the Austrian army, later in logistics and food wholesaling. Not particularly demanding, sometimes dull; only to be managed with the big goal in mind: to be a professional cyclist.

MARK CAVENDISH is an example of many professional cyclists who reach or exceed the limits of their mental resilience under the pressure of having to win. The Brit is one of the biggest names in cycling. He has won a number of stages in the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia. He is one of the few names that also means something to a wider public beyond cycling fans. In 2020, he revealed that he has mental as well as physical problems. "It wasn't just my physical health that took a hit in recent years. I've battled quite hard with depression during that time," the now 1985-born rider told the British newspaper "The Times". However, Cavendish got back on his feet and even won his 34th stage win at the 2021 Tour, putting him on a par with the legend Eddy Merckx. However, further tests await Cavendish - after the end of his career, a number of professional cyclists fell into psychological problems and attracted attention through drug or alcohol abuse. Former Tour winner Jan Ullrich, for example, who was involved in one of the biggest doping scandals, fell into a burnout.

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• Information Center Scandinavia

You want to see Yusra Mardini live? The Olympic swimmer and youngest UNHCR ambassador will open the Main Stage on the second day of the trade fair, November 29, at 10:30 am. Secure your ticket for ISPO Munich 2023 now and meet Yusra Mardini!

MICHAEL PHELPS was deeply saddened to see Biles go. Seeing her broke his heart, said, the most successful Olympic starter of all time with 23 gold medals. The US swimmer was also in Tokyo, but for the first time not as a swimmer at the Olympic Games, but as a television expert. Phelps struggled with depression early on in his career. These were only ever made public indirectly - Phelps drove drunk, he was caught smoking pot. Phelps later admitted that he had suicidal thoughts. At the age of 30, he finally learned to talk. He told the Swiss newspaper "Blick" just before the end of Biles, "I want to encourage more people to talk about what they are going through. I admit it: it saved my life."

Mike Schultz was an up-and-coming snowmobile star who won national and international tournaments. But in 2008, he shattered his left leg in a serious accident on the track, requiring it to be amputated just above the knee. When he woke up after the emergency surgery, he asked directly if and when he could get back on the snowmobile. He tried out various prostheses, but none were suitable for the unusual stresses of racing. Instead of giving up the sport, he took up his own tools and built his own prosthesis. He geared the mechanics entirely to the dynamic load, the fine motor movements and the power required for his sport. Success proved him right: just seven months after his amputation, he competed in the Supercross event at the Summer XGames with the homemade prosthesis and won silver. He then founded BioDapt to make his sports prostheses available to other athletes with special requirements. The latest models can withstand dynamic loads up to 230 kg and cover snowboarding, skiing, cycling, off-road motocross, ATV, weight training, horseback riding and water sports. At the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, 16 athletes from 11 countries wore prosthetics from BioDapt. And Mike himself won a gold and a silver medal in snowboarding.

NAOMI OSAKA was a "game changer" in the eyes of Michael Phelps when it came to raising awareness of mental health problems. Japan's tennis superstar has spoken openly about her depression on social media. Osaka has also made no secret of her gnawing self-doubt in a documentary series on Netflix. In 2021, Osaka dropped out of the French Open as the world number 2 in women's tennis and made her mental health problems public. She has been suffering from depression since the US Open in 2018. The situation in Paris escalated because Osaka did not want to talk to the press - she accused the media of showing no consideration for the mental health of athletes. In 2022, Osaka burst into tears after an interjection from a spectator in Indian Wells. With the help of a psychotherapist, however, Osaka said she came out of the incident stronger: "She taught me strategies for such incidents and I realize how helpful they are. I'm glad that the people around me advised me to take this step."

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• Official Representative of Messe Muenchen GmbH in Canada

NOAH LYLES is one of the best sprinters in the world, became world champion in the 200 meters in 2022 and won bronze at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Almost more admirable than the US American's sporting success is his commitment to combating the taboo surrounding mental health problems. In 2020, Lyles wrote on Twitter: "I recently decided to undergo treatment with antidepressants. It was one of the best decisions I've made in a long time. Since then, I've been able to think without the dark undertone in my head that it's all meaningless anyway." Lyles later explained his tweet, saying he wanted to break the stigma that drug treatment was "only for people who are crazy." Lyles was diagnosed with depression in 2020. "When we went into lockdown, the Black Lives Matter movement took off and it felt like every day you saw another young person die on the street or a school shooting, I felt more and more powerless and helpless." Together with his younger brother, Lyles has since founded the Lyles Brothers Sports Foundation, which supports young athletes financially and provides advice on mental health issues, stress management and anti-bullying.

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• Author

PER MERTESACKER is probably the most prominent German footballer to make public the psychological problems that followed the pressure to perform. Shortly after the end of his career, the 2014 World Cup winner told Der Spiegel in 2018 how the pressure to perform was literally getting to him. He said he reacted with nausea and diarrhoea before every game - "as if what comes next, symbolically speaking, just makes you want to vomit". He was aware of his privileges. But "at some point you realize that everything is a burden, physically and mentally. That it's no longer about having fun, but that you have to deliver, no ifs, ands or buts." He didn't see injuries that forced him to sit out as a drama, but as a relief. "Because it's the only way to get a legitimate break, to get out of the grind," said the former Werder Bremen and Arsenal London defender.

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• Author

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• Information Center Russia

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• Author

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• Team Lead Expert Center

SERENA WILLIAMS played tennis in the top leagues for years and won all the titles. But when she retired, she had to learn to set boundaries and switch off after the pressure and constant anxiety that comes with a career in tennis. She has also publicly shared the state of her mental health and the tools she uses to deal with it and supports Selena Gomez' "Wondermind" initiative.

Sifan Hassan is one of the surprise stars of 2023: The successful middle-distance runner from the Netherlands ran her first marathon in London this year - and won it outright. Yet her starting position was not promising. Her running training coincided with Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting. Although she trained hard during the day, she only ate and drank after sunset. And the marathon itself began anything but favourably for Sifan Hassan. Not only once did she have to take a break to loosen up and stretch her aching hip. Already after the first hour, she lost her running pace. Her competition was strong, including running against Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya and last year's marathon winner Yalemzerf Yehualaw (Ethiopia). But kilometre by kilometre, she fought her way forward. When she started the last lap and saw the leading runners, the crowd went wild. Amid thunderous applause and cheers, Sifan was able to overtake her competitors and, after her three Olympic gold medals in Tokyo over 1,500, 5,000 and 10,000 meters, also won the marathon distance in London.

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• Professional

Silvia Koch is a professional editor and loves to do sports outside and to experience nature.

Biles is at the top in all disciplines of apparatus gymnastics. She won her first world championship title at the age of 16 in Antwerp and was already the most successful participant in gymnastics world championships of all time before the 2020 Olympics. Simone Biles records count 19 gold, 3 silver and 3 bronze medals. She is also the record champion at national US championships with seven times the all-around win. Her weakest discipline is the uneven bars, but even there she is one of the favorites. After the postponement of the Olympic Games, Biles had pushed back the end of her career and the Olympics in Tokyo should be the culmination of her gymnastics career. The floor is her favorite discipline in gymnastics, Biles says, because it offers the most opportunities to show personality in the freestyle. But she also shows character off the floor by standing up for herself and others. She uses her wide reach on social media to take a stand and highlight social injustice, such as in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests. Simone Biles also spoke out on an even more personal issue. In 2018, in the wake of the online #metoo movement and alongside other prominent gymnasts, she came forward about being sexually abused by Larry Nassar, the former physician of the US gymnastics team. Biles also later addressed the gymnastics federation's misconduct, describing her frustration with officials who were complicit and did not protect her or others affected by the abuse. After the FBI did not follow up on the first reports of abuse as prescribed and thereby allowing Nassar to continue to act for months, Simone Biles' courage in speaking out about her experiences, along with other prominent and non-celebrity gymnasts, helped to convict the guilty doctor. While it may seem that Simone Biles' victories on the international stage come naturally, she did not have an easy start in life. After her birth mother was unable to care for her children due to drug and alcohol abuse, Simone spent her childhood in foster care and was later taken in by her grandparents and adopted. At the age of six, her talent for gymnastics was recognized during a school trip, and from then on she trained regularly until her first world championship title followed at the age of 16. At her first Olympic Games in Rio she won four gold medals and one bronze. She was the bearer of hope for the Olympic Games in Tokyo: But right at the beginning of the competitions in Tokyo Simone Biles admitted: "I have mental problems." Reason for her public statement: In the gymnast's all-around competition, Biles left the hall after the first discipline. Her US colleagues and viewers in front of the TV feared for the 24-year-old. An injury? No! The record holder later admitted that she hadn't felt well and preferred to step back from the competition. In tears, Simone Biles said: "I don't feel as good as I did before, I'm more nervous when doing gymnastics and have less fun." Mental problems bothered her. The biggest fight she has to fight right now is the one with herself. That it comes to light at the Olympics, of all places, annoys her. These amazing facts about Simone Biles make her one of the top sportsmen in the world and a role model. Her brilliant career should teach young sportsmen that not only records matter, but also physical and mental health, dignity and strength of mind. Simone Bile's success was not something she was born with: Her alcoholic and drug-addicted mother was unable to care for her and her siblings. Her grandparents eventually adopted her and, after discovering her talent, allowed her to concentrate fully on her sport. And it paid off, as Biles went on to a stellar career as a gymnast and is now arguably the most successful athlete of her generation, having won 25 world championship medals and seven Olympic medals. But Biles is also a true role model away from the gym. She stands up as the voice of BIPOC and all women in sports, openly criticizing discrimination, sexism and violence in sports. In 2018, as part of the #metoo movement, she made public the sexual assaults of her team doctor, Larry Nassar, which affected over a hundred other female athletes. In 2021, she spoke to Congress about what happened, accusing legal authorities and gymnastics officials of looking the other way despite evidence. And she continues to struggle with her mental health as well. In 2021, she dropped out of the Tokyo Olympics. She spoke openly about her challenges and ADHD, and encouraged competitive athletes to be mindful of themselves and their limits, which sparked a public debate. SIMONE BILES is probably the best gymnast in history. But at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, the American showed just how unhealthy the pressure of expectation and stress can be: Surprisingly, Biles cancelled five of her targeted six competitions at short notice. The reason: anxiety. This was compounded by an unexpected death in the family. "I say mental health comes first. That's why sometimes it's okay to even skip the big competitions to focus on yourself. It shows how strong you really are as a competitor and a person instead of just fighting through it," the 26-year-old said at a press conference. Months after the Olympic Games, when Biles had ended her professional sports career and was on the road with a show tour, she admitted that she was "still scared of gymnastics". Professional help helped her: "It was a great relief for me to get the psychotherapy I needed, especially when I was on tour." Biles is now also Chief Impact Officer at the mental health app Cerebral.

Sylvia Zwerger has already found her passion at the age of 20. She knows exactly what's good for her: dancing. The Project Assistant at the Munich Trade Fair Centre and has been dancing in the dance group "Diversity" for years. "This isn't outdoor," many will say. "Just so," she'll meet it. Hip-hop and video clip dancing can also mean outdoor: "To me, outdoor simply means 'out of everyday life and into adventure.'" When the weather is fine, the group often practices on the sports field in front of the gym. Spontaneous performances in the park or at the Ostbahnhof train station give her a very personal outdoor experience. "I don't think there's a right or wrong definition," says Sylvia. "It's all about great moments and unique experiences." In addition, you can dance whenever and wherever you want. Nina and Lena also know that feeling described by Sylvia: Continue after setbacks, never give up and get out of the comfort zone. Sylvia's motivation is the creative creation of a new choreography: "Everything needs to be perfect. A group is only as strong as its weakest link." The 20-year-old dancer, who also has a passion for singing, is looking forward to a video shoot of her group "Diversity", which will soon be produced in and around Munich. Jutta combines a trip to Nepal with her best outdoor moment; Nina calls the mountains her home and Sylvia loves to dance outdoors. 48-year-old Franz Sußbauer, on the other hand, almost always has his camera with him. His obsession: landscape photography. The Munich native works as an architect and civil engineer. To shoot the perfect picture of the summit of a mountain, he likes to get up at three in the morning to be "on location" before sunrise. He clearly associates outdoor with activity: "You can only get to the beautiful places through movement." The perfect photo is his goal and his motivation at the same time. If there's no other way, he and his buddy hike to the location, the evening before the shooting, where he sleeps in his sleeping bag on a sleeping mat. He had his coldest overnight stay in the Dolomites, in November. His equipment and food can weigh up to 15 kilograms. But outdoor doesn't always have to be extreme, not even for Franz. The photographer walks his dachshund terrier mix every day. "The dog must go out, no matter what the weather. That's outdoor too," he says and laughs.

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• Head of Consumer Goods

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• CEO

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• Category Manager Outdoor Future Lab

Yusra Mardini is not only a professional swimmer, but also an encourager for millions of refugees around the world. She comes from Syria, where her career as a swimmer began under her father's training. In 2015, Yusra came to Germany as a refugee herself, along with her sister Sara. On the run, her training paid off: She saved the lives of nearly 20 people. Once in Germany, she came to the attention of the Berlin club Wasserfreunde Spandau 04 - from then on, things went steeply uphill. Yusra participated as part of the Refugee Team in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. A film about her life was released on Netflix in late 2022. A documentary on ARD and Arte followed in July 2023. We have for you 6 exciting facts about a swimmer who is far more than just a competitive athlete and reveal what Mardini does today. Yusra Mardini has been the youngest ambassador of the UN refugee agency UNHCR since April 2017. For the organization, she is the face of the global refugee crisis and an inspiration for refugees in the same situation. With her sister Sara Mardini, Yusra fled the civil war in Syria in 2015. From Turkey, as part of a larger group, they attempted to cross they were part of a larger group trying to cross the sea to Greece in a rubber dinghy. When the boat's engine stopped, Yusra and Sara, who is also a competitive swimmer, and two other fugitives jumped into the water. They stabilized the boat and pulled it to shore while swimming for over three hours. In this way, the two sisters, together with the other swimmers, saved the lives of 20 people. In February 2023, she was seen on the BAFTA Red Carpet alongside Cate Blanchett in her role as Ambassador. Yusra Mardini was born into a family of swimmers in Syria: Her father was a swimming coach and former competitive swimmer, and her sister trained with her lane after lane. But war accompanied her throughout her childhood, and when an unexploded bomb hit the swimming hall, her parents decided to flee. They wanted to cross the sea to Europe - put by smugglers into a small, rickety boat with several leaks. When the boat threatened to capsize, Yusra and her sister jumped into the sea, not knowing how far away the saving shore would be. They began to swim and dragged the boat behind them - for almost three hours until they reached Greece. Via detours, Yusra Mardini and her family arrived in Berlin. Here she had only one goal: to swim again! The club Wasserfreunde Spandau was amazed at the trial training. When the IOC (International Olympic Committee) put together a team of refugee athletes for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, she was part of it. Today, Yusra is a Good Will Ambassador for UNHCR. She is the youngest ambassador ever. Her Hollywood story was recently made into a film.

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• Lead Devold of Norway, the Expert for Merino Products, into a Sustainable Future. Find Out How the New CEO Perfectly Combines Tradition and Modernity

Øystein Vikingsen Fauske wants to lead Devold of Norway, the expert for merino products, into a sustainable future. Find out how the new CEO perfectly combines tradition and modernity.