Sports have always played a big role in my family—especially running, jumping, and throwing, i.e., athletics. My passion for sports was evident at a young age, and I remember consistently winning honorary certificates at the German National Youth Games. My sports teacher recognized my talent and recommended that I join a club. So, my path led me to the DJK Sportbund Munich, where my athletic career began.

After graduating from secondary school, there were limited options for transferring to a Gymnasium (high school). A school counselor pointed out to me that there were specialized sports schools and recommended that I apply there. During the interview at the sports boarding school in Hesse, the focus was less on my academic performance – the headmaster immediately asked, "We'll manage school, but how are your athletic performance?" My answer was obviously convincing, because shortly thereafter, I was accepted to the boarding school. This decision had a significant impact on my athletic career.

Participating in "Youth Trains for the Olympics" was an absolute highlight every year – both for me personally and for our sports boarding school. It was something special to fly to Berlin and compete in the Olympic Stadium. Because we always had a strong team, we were able to win the competition three times. At the same time, I also continued to improve in individual competitions, which ultimately led to my second-place finishes at the German Youth Championships. These successes motivated me enormously and further fueled my athletic ambition.

My coach at the time, Schulze, introduced me to Rudolf Peter, the head of the athletics department and also a sponsor of TV Gelnhausen. This connection was a great stroke of luck for me, as it gave me the opportunity to train on a team with outstanding athletes like Harald Schmid. Training in such a high-performance environment motivated me enormously and helped me achieve my best performances.

I was fortunate enough to be born into the golden era of German discus throwing. During that time, competition in Germany was so fierce that the German Championships were almost like an early European Championship or even a World Championship. Between 1984 and 2000, five Olympic Games were held, and three times the gold medal went to a German athlete. Succeeding in such an environment was an enormous challenge, but at the same time, it also provided great motivation to constantly work on myself and improve my performance level.

Until the 1984 Military World Championships, I had only competed a few times internationally due to the strong competition in the German discus throw. I was all the more pleased about the nomination. The competition itself was a special experience, and I secured second place behind Marco Martino. I particularly remember the journey – we flew to Alexandria, Egypt, on a Transall, a German military aircraft. It was a true adventure, and I still have many fond memories of this trip.

1988 was my best year as a discus thrower. In April, I successfully completed my medical examination and was more motivated than ever. The nomination for the Olympic Games was an exciting story, but in the end, I was selected for Germany.

Shortly before departing for Seoul, however, I suffered a torn calf muscle—a very unfortunate moment. Nevertheless, I was determined: nothing and no one would stop me from participating. I hobbled onto the plane, determined to give it my best.

In Seoul, I shared an apartment with Sigi Wenz and other athletes from my time in the German army in Mainz. My physiotherapist Klaus Eder cared for me intensively, and the injury improved day by day. Unfortunately, I was technically limited and could only use a heel-toe technique like a hammer thrower, so I managed 57.30 meters.

Despite these circumstances, the Olympic Games experience was simply unique. I was able to gather many unforgettable memories – the closing ceremony was an absolute highlight.

This event was so special for me because the Hessian Championships were held in the large Rösler Stadium. Normally, you don't throw that far in stadiums because there's no wind, which gives the discus extra lift. But on this day, the conditions were very special—a favorable wind blew through the stadium, which is a rare occurrence.

I felt physically in top shape and was able to perform at my best. It was one of those rare moments when everything just came together – the external conditions, my own physical condition, and the right timing of the throw.

Our family has a tradition spanning over 500 years, in which medicine has always played a major role. Our family tree can be traced back to Balthasar Brunner, so an interest in this field is in our genes.

Originally, I wanted to study economics. But when I was offered a place to study medicine in Munich, my wife Sabine and I decided to move back to Munich. At first, I wasn't sure if studying medicine was really right for me. But the lady at the registration desk convinced me with her statement: "Take the place—you can always quit."

I never really thought about how I would manage it all. My motto was always "close your eyes and get through it." I had no doubts about my path or whether I would make it. I was determined to give my best in both my sports and my studies and simply focused on making progress step by step.

My good friend Ortwin Sülzen told me that he had taken over a dealership for Dynavit cardio equipment in North Rhine-Westphalia – and that there was currently good money to be made in this field. No sooner said than done: I started helping him deliver some products, which gave me my first exposure to the fitness industry.

At that time, there was no such agency in Bavaria. My wife Sabine and I recognized this as an opportunity – and so we began purchasing, importing, and eventually selling our first fitness products ourselves. This laid the foundation for our entry into the industry.

The best equipment for the best athletes – that has always been a key principle for me. From my active career, I knew how important it is to train on professional equipment. Ergonomics and power transmission played a particularly important role, as I focused primarily on speed strength training to improve my explosiveness for discus throwing.

At the same time, I've learned over the course of my career that there isn't one perfect training method for everyone. Every athlete is unique and should try different approaches to find the optimal method for them. This knowledge continues to shape my perspective on fitness and training equipment to this day.

We were fortunate enough to be assigned one of the best territories for Dynavit distribution. This made it much easier for us to get started, as demand for these devices was already high.

From the very beginning, transparency, fairness, and sound advice were essential to me. I knew that long-term success is only possible with satisfied customers. These values ​​helped us build trust and develop strong customer loyalty. Word soon spread about our way of working, and we were able to win more and more contracts through recommendations.

Just as an athlete's health is my top priority, it was essential for me from the very beginning to only sell fitness products that are robust, functional, and durable. Quality is my top priority, because only reliable equipment allows for sustainable and safe training.

But even the best product can need maintenance or repairs from time to time. That's why it's always been important to me that the service is right – customer-focused, fast, and reliable. Because long-term customer satisfaction comes not only from a good product, but also from excellent support.

For around 30 years, we operated traditional sales via telephone, customer visits, and trade fairs. During this time, we were able to build a fantastic customer base and establish valuable contacts. We are particularly proud of having actively supported some of our customers in setting up and developing their systems – some of them now operate more than ten locations.

This model worked perfectly until the turn of the millennium. But with the rise of online commerce, the market environment changed fundamentally. Customers suddenly had a much wider selection, could easily compare prices, and even order internationally. We only entered the online sales market in 2017 – somewhat later than other providers. But we have now successfully established ourselves in this area as well and can look back on a strong digital presence.

True to our motto "By athletes for athletes," we test every piece of equipment we offer ourselves. Only if a product meets our high standards do we include it in our range. Should any problems or doubts arise, we systematically eliminate it – because quality is our top priority.

Our clear focus is on ergonomics, running characteristics, workmanship, and stability. These factors are crucial for safe and efficient training. This ensures that our customers only receive fitness equipment that meets the highest professional standards.

Customer feedback is an extremely valuable tool for us. We take critical comments about a product very seriously, as they help us continuously optimize our product range. If it turns out that a device does not meet our high quality standards or causes problems for customers, we systematically remove it from our product range.

Our goal is to only offer products that are both functional and durable. Ultimately, it's neither fun for us nor for our customers when complaints arise. Thanks to this philosophy, we've been able to build a high-quality product range – with minimal complaints and maximum customer satisfaction. Because ultimately, one thing matters most to us: a satisfied customer.

Our business used to be much simpler: We operated with minimal technology and sold primarily iron. This made sales straightforward and required little after-sales support.

Today, the situation is completely different. Customers can choose between five different displays on cardio equipment, and strength training equipment comes with personalized training plans activated by membership card. Demands have increased – both in terms of technology and the customization of equipment.

The product range has now become significantly larger and more complex in order to optimally serve the same customer base as before. This also means that our employees must be highly trained to ensure sound advice. This development entails a lot of work, but at the same time, modern supply chains, improved customer accessibility, and new technological possibilities also offer great opportunities to successfully meet these challenges.

Our customers rightly have high expectations for a comprehensive product portfolio and objective advice – and we want to ensure this at all times. Therefore, we plan to further expand our product range with high-quality products in the coming years. At the same time, we are placing a strong focus on our online presence to offer our customers a unique shopping experience in our online shop.

Our clear goal for the next five years is to become one of the leading providers in the DACH region. To achieve this, we will further strengthen our network and cultivate our relationships with our customers even more intensively.

Personally, I'm also looking ahead to the future of our company: My children are now part of our team, and I will gradually hand over responsibility to them. However, I won't retire completely—I can't even think about retirement; I enjoy my work too much!

My motto is: "Close your eyes and get through it," and "Losers don't win, winners don't doubt." In both sports and entrepreneurship, it's crucial to believe in yourself. Success only comes when you work hard and are honest with yourself. Doubt is your worst enemy—you have to be willing to accept defeat and keep going until it works.

Risk-taking plays a key role: You have to be willing to take risks to find out what works. Combined with hard work, this path leads to long-term success.

I'd like to pass on the following advice to the next generation: Focus on yourself, find your passion, and strive with full commitment to bring out the best in yourself. Only then can you truly achieve great things.