 Kalifornien Ende 2003
It's a crisp Saturday morning in Santa Cruz, California, my friend and I am heading out for a little ride on mountain bikes. After a few miles a group of cyclist catch up to us. A quick look to my friend and we agree. We jump on. Its fun to suck wheel for a little bit, until we hit the trails. Well- the guys do not think so. They see us and the hammering starts. After every hill, after every time they pick up the pace, we see them turn their head with the look on their faces, thinking:" shit they are still there, we did not drop them" Sorry guys, we did not mean to make you race your guts out to drop us, we where just looking for a little lift to get to the trails. Thanks anyways. We got there fast that day. Turned out to be a beautiful 31/2h ride thought the Santa Cruz Mountains. We are both professional triathletes training on mountain bikes in the off season. It's the time to just have fun. Cross training like skiing, mountain biking, surfing and well you start hitting the gym regularly to start preparing your muscles for the hard training to come. I have been a professional triathlete for 6 years now. It's a lifestyle of training, racing, eating healthy and travelling a lot. I race all over the world, spending only about 4 months out of a year at home. You do not make the big money like in other sports but I do it because I love it. There are lots of ups and downs in the life of a professional athlete. I won my first Ironman title in 1998 at the Ironman Germany in Roth, it was a dream come true. After years of training I had made it to race head to head with the best in the world, and started winning races. But there was another dream I have had since I was playing in the neighbour's pool as a kid, to be in the Olympic Games. I had 2 years to go until triathlon was making its debut into the Olympic Games in 2000. Nobody believed I could do it: there where girls, that had been training in short distance for years, I was an Ironman athlete. I went for it. I didn't want to tell myself one day, you might have had a chance to be in the Olympics fulfil a lifelong dream and you didn't go for it. Well - I went for it. Did everything. Trained as hard as I could, jumped official hurdles, and got sponsors to finance it. And after one and a half years I made it to be one of the 5 girls competing in Sydney, on the original course for the 3 slots for Germany, for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. Then my luck turned. We went out for a little spin 2 days before the race. Just to get the blood flowing. The guys went home after 2 laps, my friend wanted to do one more. So I said good by to the guys jumped back on my bike to catch up to my friend to join her for another lap. All off a sudden I heard a crash, until I realized it was me I was already laying on the ground. People around me are looking down at me. A car driver had opened the car door, without looking and knocked me off my bike on the ground. I did not feel anything, all I thought was: The race is in 2 days, I am OK, I have to race. My friend told me later, that I was trying to get back on my bike. Well - they did not let me. I had ruptured my biceps muscle and had to wear a brace for 2month. I could not race for 3 month, and my dream to be part of the Olympics was destroyed. It took me 2 years to win races again, and there where a lot of times in that period, where I got close to giving up. I am happy now I never did. And even though I never made it to the Olympics I know I tried and I am happy I did. Not only have I raced and trained around the world, but the sport also taught me lessons for life and one of the most memorable races was Ironman South Africa in 2001. I was the first Ironman I did after the accident in Sydney. And when I landed in Cape Town I had no idea witch unforgettable moments I was about to experience. On the way from the airport to our first class hotel, that was provided for the top athletes, we passed about 10miles of slums. Huts, that people lived in, people running barefoot along the freeway. I have never seen poverty and it was shocking to me. A few days later we went to a pizza place in town for dinner. Sitting outside, with a beautiful view on to the bay, we enjoyed our meal, a big plate of pasta. There where some kids on the other side of the road, as soon as the waiter disappeared, they came over to beg. I was not sure for what, did they want money? That they might turn into drugs. I was not willing to give them money. Or where they actually really looking for food? The waiter came back and they disappeared. We finished our meal, but I couldn't forget. The little boy's eyes, he looked hungry to me. He is staring at my big plate, putting his hand towards me. We turned around drove to a grocery store and bought food, bread, apples and cookies. Coming back to the parking lot, where the group of kids was hanging out, I was really interested, what would happen. We stopped the car, and I waved. An older maybe 14year old boy came over. I handed him the food, and waited for a reaction. He looked at me and smiled: Thank you Maim, thank you, thank you! He turned back to the group and called them. I saw a lot of happy faces. It made me happy, and very sad at the same time. Those kids where really hungry. I provided one dinner, but what about all those other days? We went back to the hotel; it was a few days until the race and a lot to prepare. But I could not forget. There where kids just a few miles from our nice hotel and they are starving. I had to do something. Sure I can not feed all the starving kids of Cape town. But there has to be something. I started talking to people around. One day the bellboy at our hotel said:" I want to introduce you to somebody". That's how it started. I went to visit the local school and learned that all kids in South- Africa can go to school, get an education. It's free. The problem is that many of the kids from the slums have lost their parents, have no place to study, or sit down for homework. If there is a problem, some math they don't understand. There is no parent to help. Most of them drop out of school, before they have an education and end up on the street. The little project I decided to support, has build a little study house in Sands. Its in the slums, I could have never visited it without the guy, who put the program together. He took me in the Slums, which is usually really dangerous for white people. Well- I wanted to see, what I was supporting. He was well known, and I welcomed very friendly. The kids can come after school, and get help from older students, who get played with books, because they are trying to make it to College. I thought that was a great. As only education is a way to get out of the slums and have a better life. I decided to give 25% of my prize money, which I would make at the Ironman to the Sands project. I know it's not that much, but hopefully it helps a little. I had a bad day, came off the bike in 6th, and started running. About 5 km into Marathon I saw a group of black kids on the side of the road. They stuck out, as not one other black person was watching the race and only 2 where competing. As I came closer I saw them holding signs. Even closer I saw they had my name on the signs?! It said: Go Katja! We love you Katja! I was taken off guard. …….. It was some of the kids from Sands and one of the teachers; they had made the signs and came to cheer me on. How great!!!!!! Then I realized: I am only in 6th……. the prize money for 6th ……. I was not sure how much it exactly was. But I knew that 25% of it is not much. I ran, and ran as hard as I could. Every lap, the kids where there. Cheering me on, running a little with me. I ran into 3rd place, with their help and for them. The next day I took them out for ice cream, a little thank you for all the cheers. And I got even more back from them: All happy smiles lit up eyes of happiness. I realized most of them had never had an ice cream in their live. I was able to give so much happiness with so little. I will never forget the happy faces. And hope that one of the kids makes it it out of the slums and has a better live. I am very thankful, that I was able to make this experience thought my sport. I will never forget the kids of Sands.
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