History of images (part one)

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	1979 First Germany title, Girls Category And here my adventure begins...the same year I was also second in the juniorcategory. I was fifteen years old and it was my first year of competing in the girls category.

	1979 My city awarded me with this prize for winning first place in the girls category. I remember with great fondness my coach. I always had alot of fun with him.

	1981 Junior European Championships in Sofia I won sixth place. In winter I was injured for long time, so that explains my result. Anyways, kayaking was really fun for me.

	1984 German team at the Olympics in Los Angeles. I am the only athlete left from this team that still competes. You probably can't see close-up the former President of the German Kayak Federation, Dr. Ulrich Feldhoff. I would like to express my most heartfelt congratulations on his new appointment as President of ICF.

	1984 Olimpiadi di Los Angeles Una fotografia che mi ricorda momenti magici e teneri. Riguardandola vedo il romanticismo di questo sport, le pagaie di legno con pala tradizionale (piatta) e le bellissime barche di legno Struer. Mi ricordo ancora la mia incoscienza nell'affrontare questo evento. Incoscienza giovanile, bellissima e vincente che non mi ha più accompagnato nella mia storia di atleta. Ricordo con affetto la mia partner Barbara; gli occhi colmi di lacrime ed orgoglio dei miei genitori nel vedermi con la medaglia Olimpica al collo

	1984 My city of Hamm celebrates my bronze medal (K2 500 mt) from the Olympics in Los Angeles. I really gave it my all, at this competition, as I was throwing myself into my competitive career. Due to a boycott, by Eastern European countries against the American Olympics, my result just didn't feel complete. I was very young and unaware of things.

	1987 Duisburg: World Championship I spent four years at the top, as the leading woman kayaker in Germany. Even though I entered in all the World Championship Finals, it seemed on an international level I just wasn't able to express my potential. This photo was taken right after the final K1 500 mt race, in which I won fifth place. I look exhausted and worn out. I was in despair that I had failed in front of my public, my people.

	1988 Olympics in Seoul This photo was taken with me in my German Olympic Delegation uniform. So much hope, but to no avail, I finished last in the finals. Disappointment and thoughts of retiring followed...at the end of 1988 I moved to Italy.

	1989 I left Germany for him. I met Guglielmo in Prague in 1987. We had a long distance relationship, kept in touch by phone and I would go to see him in Ravenna when I had time off. After my disappointment at the Olympics in Seoul we decided to live together and I moved to his house in Santerno (RA), Italy. I always felt that I could do more, give more as far as my athletic performance was concerned. Since Guglielmo was a physical education teacher and very passionate about sports in general, in 1989 we decided to go for this big adventure...myself the athlete, and him not only as my coach but my future husband!

	1989 World Championships in Plovdiv (Bulgary). Hurrah!!! I won my first bronze medal at the World Championships, no actually I won two (K1 500 mt and K1 5000 mt). I had been living in Italy for one year, training with my companion Guglielmo Guerrini. I found serenity both in sports and my personal life. I was able to establish and express my full potential. After the World Championships?...A wonderful vacation in Greece.

	1989 My last German title Ruth Domgorgen, Andrea Martin, Birgit Baum and Josefa Idem, the K4 of The Schierstein Society (close to Frankfurt), with whom I won my last German title.

It continues to part two

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