Tolfioow: A silver medal in London, four years earlier gold in Beijing – more success is hardly possible, you have achieved almost everything. How else do you motivate yourself?
Sabine Spitz: For me, cycling is a passion, a way of life. I am in nature, I see and experience a lot. The medals are just the icing on the cake. But at the same time it is always a nice incentive to keep going.
How important are goals for recreational athletes?
Important. They don’t have to be high. All you need is the will to run, for example, without stopping to walk, to lose three kilos or simply to be more active with your family in your free time.
Many of your competitors are half your age. Why are you still driving away from them?
I didn’t get into competitive sports until I was 22, which also has its advantages. My body is less worn out than someone who started in junior class when he was ten. In addition, I have a good eye for the strengths and weaknesses of other drivers and can sometimes take a step back in the race. This tactical driving is more difficult for younger people.
Your current husband introduced you to mountain biking, then you drove away from him in a sporty way. Does he have a problem with that?
Not at all. When we go on tour together, he drives in my slipstream, or I sprint away from him for a moment and come back. As my manager, he’s happy when I lose him. Then we did everything right.
What have you learned from competitive sport for everyday life?
The job also means competition. The art in sport, as in work and everyday life, is to proceed in a goal-oriented manner, to play through critical situations internally, but also to be able to push them aside again. Just like a book we fold. This alternation of tension and relaxation acts like mental strength training.