We have been supporting Austrian athletes for years and love to observe their careers and celebrate their successes with them. This year, we can be really proud of our boys and girls again because they have achieved a lot. We support our athletes with delicious
Verival breakfast
products and our
Verival Sport Range
products, ensuring that they are well catered for in their sporting activities. In this third and final part, we would like to introduce you to a few of our athletes in a little more detail and review the year with them. In this third part, we introduce you to the following athletes: Lena Plesiutschnig & Katharina Schützenhöfer, Helene Fruhwirth, Franziska Kofler, and Mario Käppeli.
Lena Plesiutschnig & Katharina Schützenhöfer
Brief introduction
Beach volleyball team Schützenhöfer/Plesiutschnig
Katharina Schützenhöfer, 22.09.1993
Lena Plesiutschnig, 04.10.1993
Since when have you been doing this sport? Since when professional?
We both played indoor volleyball for many years and, since the age of 15, we have also started playing beach volleyball. Until we were 18 years old, we did both (indoor and beach), but then we decided to move to Vienna to pursue it professionally all year round. Beach volleyball is a very demanding sport. You have to master all the basic elements of volleyball and, in addition, enormous athleticism is necessary to be able to move quickly and efficiently on the sand. In our sport, tactics and player understanding are also very important, which makes the sport very attractive and complex for us.
What achievements have you been able to celebrate this season?
This year has been our best year on the international World Tour so far. We were able to establish ourselves in the top 25 in the world and celebrate many great successes. We achieved a strong 9th place in the 5* tournament in Vienna, as well as four additional 9th places in 4* tournaments. Furthermore, we placed ninth at the European Championship and 17th at the World Championship. We were also able to take the state championship title and win the 1* tournament in Baden.
What were the biggest challenges this year?
The biggest challenges this season were definitely the many tournaments in which we had to deliver our top performances week after week. From the beginning of January to the end of September, we were active all over the world and often had to struggle with jet lag or long-haul flights, but we were able to overcome all the hardships and predominantly put in very good performances.
Preview for next year, what's next?
Next year, it will be the final sprint for Olympic qualification. Until June 2020, we can collect points for this. Our big goal is to participate in the Olympics. In addition, the 5* tournament in Vienna will once again be a highlight. In mid-November, a 4* tournament in Mexico is still on the agenda, after which we have a few months of training planned. The 2020 season is expected to start in April.
Favorite Verival product
Lena:
Bircher Porridge
Kathi:
Chocolate Banana Sport Porridge
Helene Fruhwirth
Brief introduction
My name is Helene Valerie Fruhwirth. I am 36 years old, come from Mödling near Vienna, and call myself a millennial. I am an e-bike hero team rider, downhill rider, and a mountain bike coach. I love my job and my dog.
Why did you choose this sport?
I ride a mountain bike because becoming a professional snowboarder was too cold for me in the long run (hahaha). I also like to be in the mountains, but I prefer the summer. I just love to ride away from my front door on a bike or with my van and my dog. My sport always takes me to incredibly beautiful places, and I often meet new like-minded people who, like me, can race down the mountain and not skip a jump 🙂
Since when have you been doing this sport? Since when professional?
I have been riding MTB since 1998 and also participated in a race in my first year, winning. Yes, from then on I wanted to become a professional. Hmm, let me think, I think I 've been a pro for 14 years and have been racing for 21 years. Whew, pretty long.
What achievements have you been able to celebrate this season?
This year has been a good racing season for me. I was able to finish on the podium 10 times out of 13 races and I won four of them. I also won the Austria Gravity Total Cup and I qualified for the Pumptrack World Championships.
What were the biggest challenges this year?
From a sporting point of view, the Enduro State Championships were the biggest. I'm not a big fan of driving up the mountain; I still don 't understand why this should be fun (haha). And in the race, it was about 1,800 meters in altitude over 55km. I couldn't do anything with such information so far, and I thought I couldn't be that wild. So , I was wrongly thought Helene. After that experience, I now know that this is a lot and that this race has definitely pushed me to my limits. Would I do it again? Yes.
Preview for next year, what's next?
Whew, good question. I want to upgrade my Mercedes Sprinter; that will keep me busy for a while. And in the spring, I will go south with it so that I can be fit for the start of the season. Then it's a lot of racing for me during the season, a lot of coaching, and many exciting projects with my sponsors. Festival and camps. I'm looking forward to it again.
Favorite Verival product
Franziska Kofler
Brief introduction
Franziska Kofler, 22 years old, alpinist.
Why did you choose this sport?
I chose this sport because it is so diverse and varied, and you travel a lot in nature. Actually, I come from competitive athletics, where I had to prove my skills in competitions for over 7 years; mountaineering, on the other hand, is a sport that I do for myself. I have no training plan or competitions that put me under pressure, and no coach who prescribes what I have to do, which I particularly enjoy.
Since when have you been doing this sport? Since when professional?
I traveled a lot in the mountains as a child, but I only started mountaineering 2 years ago.
In a word: Why is the sport your great passion?
Alpinism is my greatest passion because I can work out physically but also relax mentally at the same time.
In a word: what do the mountains mean to you?
For me, the mountains mean home, adventure, and tranquility.
What were the biggest challenges this year?
My biggest challenges this year were the Wilde Leck Ostgrat as a winter ascent and the Cima Tosa Canalone neri in extreme winds with gusts up to 90 km/h.
Preview for next year, what's next?
I always plan my tours spontaneously, depending on the conditions, weather, and other circumstances; but the list of my tour destinations is very long, so I certainly won't get bored. 😉
Favorite Verival product
Sport-Porridge Chocolate
Banana,
Date Confectionery
Mario Käppeli
Brief introduction
My name is Mario Kaeppeli. I am originally from Switzerland but lived in Innsbruck for 10 years until recently, and now, since the summer of 2019, I reside in South Tyrol, Dolomites. I have been a snowboarding professional for 15 years, but I have been concentrating more on mountaineering and photography for the last 1.5 years.
Why did you choose this sport?
Since I was little, I have felt drawn to the mountains... that's how I got into snowboarding and freediving. It's easy to combine this with mountaineering and photography.
Since when have you been doing this sport?
I started snowboarding when I was 9 years old... I didn't really get into freeriding until I was 22; before that, I was more active in the park.
In a word: Why is the sport your great passion?
Driving down a freshly snowy mountain at sunset with a snowboard is simply the best thing for me.
In a word: what do the mountains mean to you?
I constantly think about which mountain I want to climb next. 😀
What were the biggest challenges this year?
I have had surgery on my right knee several times (9x); the last surgery was in 2018. Since then, I've actually been in physical therapy all the time, struggling with my knee. But it is getting better and better 🙂
Preview for next year, is there something special coming up?
I have a bigger film project planned. It aims to show the beauty of the mountains at sunrise/sunset. I'm really looking forward to it!
Favorite Verival product
All porridges
, date confectionery
We are proud of what Lena Plesiutschnig & Katharina Schützenhöfer, Helene Fruhwirth, Franziska Kofler, and Mario Käppeli have achieved this year. We wish you continued success next year!
