"I give up a lot to be active in sports" - Interview with para-canoeist Moritz Berthold

Moritz, you seem to be travelling quite a lot - what does your everyday life look like?

Moritz Berthold: When I drive to Cottbus to train, I usually drive over after midday. Then I train for two to three sessions, usually two water sessions and a bit of strength training specific to canoeing. After I drive back to Frankfurt in the evening. I live here on campus in one if the student accommodations. Apart from that, I also have a working student job and I am often in the office. When I'm done with work, I go to the gym and go shopping. I do a lot of cooking in advance - I really enjoy cooking. Sometimes I also train at the weekend or go to the gym in Frankfurt, but I usually do something with friends or just use the time to relax. Sometimes I also go home to Bad Saarow and enjoy nature. It really is a very, very beautiful place where I come from.

Training, job, studies and hobbies - what's your secret - do you have a time machine?

(Laughs): I wish I had Hermione's time reverser from Harry Potter. It is indeed often difficult to reconcile the two. I have to be honest and confess that my studies have also suffered a little at times. Especially when I'm travelling a lot, it's sometimes difficult to keep appointments. I've had to put up with a lot of setbacks and would say that I give up quite a lot for being so active in sports. But it's worth it. I simply enjoy it so much, especially the competitions. I love the international aspect - that's why I'm studying International Business Administration. And when you're on site, you have athletes from all over the world to talk to. I enjoy competing against them. It's a really nice atmosphere between me and my opponents. You wish each other a lot of success. Of course you want to win or at least perform at your best, but you keep your fingers crossed for each other. That makes it all worth it.

Why did you decide to take up para-canoeing - what was your first experience of the sport?

My accident was four and a half years ago. So right before corona came up and when I was discharged from hospital four months later, everything was at a standstill. I had started doing a lot of sports the year before and said to myself from the start that I wanted to make the most of it and find a cool sport. I had thought about wheelchair basketball, but there were no training sessions because of Covid. A sports therapist recommended a magazine subscription for "Sport + Mobility with a Wheelchair". I read an article about the para-canoeing centre in Cottbus. I found that kind of interesting. I'm quite a nature-loving person, so I rang them and they said: "Of course, come and visit us, we'd be delighted." No sooner said than done! That was almost exactly three years ago. I immediately felt comfortable on the water; I've always been someone who feels at home in water. I train on the Spree in the middle of the forest, so to speak. You regularly have great moments when you can observe animals, which I think is great. Deer by the water or my personal favourites: Kingfishers. You see them quite often. I continued and managed to qualify for the national team last year. That's how everything took its course, so I approached it a bit more professionally, took my training more seriously and also changed my diet. I'm a big sports fan in general, but also everything around it.

You've already said that it's not always easy to juggle everything. Do you have any tips on how to manage it anyway?

I don't know if I'm the right person to talk to about this (laughs). In general, I would say that you have to prioritise. You should find out for yourself how you can work best - whether at home or remotely, does it work for you to work in the library or somewhere else? For me, it's very practical that I can do a lot of work from home. I can simply organise my schedule better that way. It's not easy when entire afternoons are blocked by training two or three times a week. I would say that I work more productively when I work in a less cosy and more professional environment. That's why I also like going to the library.

Why did you decide to study at the Viadrina?

The Viadrina wasn't my first choice, but I got used to the place - maybe even fell in love with it a little. Especially because there is such a big "together". There's a stronger sense of cohesion. It's not as individual or anonymous as it probably would have been in Berlin. And that's why I decided to stay here and feel very comfortable with it.

What do you want for your future?

I'm not yet 100 per cent sure what I want to do. I really enjoy my work. I work here in Frankfurt in a controlling job at the Institute for Medical Diagnostics Oderland. I have administrative tasks, prepare reports for hospitals, for example, and have an overview of the finances. I could imagine doing something in the field of healthcare management, even internationally. I love speaking English and having contact with people from different cultures. Of course, it's not always easy to combine this with sport. That's why I could also imagine going into the sports industry. But I'm prepared to let that come to me a bit.

From your experience at university and in the halls of residence, how do you rate the accessibility at the Viadrina?

I live in a single room and have everything I need. It's also okay in terms of accessibility. There aren't many buildings at the Viadrina. It's a shame when the lift at the library sometimes breaks down, but then there's also a back-up lift, which only works with the help of staff. I'm very glad that I have my car because the tram infrastructure is sometimes a bit difficult. There aren't that many accessible stations. If you have to go to the Viadrina Language Centre, for example, it's difficult. There's also a problem at the Viadrina Language Centre: there's a floor on one side that doesn't have a lift. But that has been less of a problem for me so far: if I had something there, it was moved. I've actually always received support. So I have nothing to criticise about the university's accessibility. I'm relatively pragmatic about it.

Lea Schüler