Parental support: German Sailing Association remains the only pioneer in elite sport
It is a progressive signal that was sent from the headquarters of the German Sailing Association (DSV) on 15 May 2023 in the direction of competitive sport: The Executive Committee unanimously decided to create a special fund from association funds for young parents with children and Olympic ambitions. This fund will now be used to finance additional costs for travelling, accommodation and childcare, among other things, so that children and parents can spend as much time together as possible during training and competition periods.
A Video contribution of the Sportschau shows once again that this attitude and implementation of the DSV is unique in the German sports landscape and by no means a matter of course. In fact, the sailing association is the only German professional association to offer such support. Initiator and DSV President Mona Küppers reveals in the programme that she has even received calls from other top association presidents who have not responded particularly positively to her actions, but have instead reacted with incomprehension. However, the 69-year-old doesn't care: "I couldn't care less what other professional associations do. I think it's our responsibility and we just do it. If we have now set something in motion, it can only be positive for our athletes!"
"It's sad"- Criticism from track and field athlete Gesa Krause
Leonie Meyer can confirm the success of the model: "It's a huge relief for us as a family," says the kitesurfer, who is the first athlete to benefit from the special fund with her son. The situation is different for track and field athlete Gesa Krause, who is also part of the short documentary and is completing her training camp in Kenya with her family and without support. "The fear of losing sponsors or being dropped from the squad is very, very great," Krause told ARD. It is sad that young female athletes postpone their desire to have children because of this.
"It can't be right that mothers and fathers don't see their children for weeks and months during Olympic preparations," Küppers made clear when the parents' fund was introduced. "Top performance is only possible if the conditions are right - and that includes parents and children feeling at ease." The fund is not designed for a limited period of time, but for long-term, sustainable support.
Unlimited parent fund for sustainable support
The background to the decision was an ongoing discussion at international level about how to achieve better family support for men and women in competitive sport. This applies to the Olympic stage as well as to sea and solo sailing.
The case of Clarisse Crémer recently made waves. The Frenchwoman lost her sponsor Banque Populaire for her planned participation in the Vendée Globe following the birth of her child and made her case public. The sponsor has since withdrawn from the solo circumnavigation. Clarisse Crémer continues to pursue her Vendée Globe ambitions intensively with Alex Thomson and her new partner L'Occitane.
I have not become worse because I have a family" (Paul Kohlhoff)
"Competitive sport and family life should not be mutually exclusive," says DSV President Mona Küppers. "With Paul Kohlhoff and Leonie Meyer, we have a father and mother in the national team for the first time in a long time. We want to give these two outstanding athletes - and all parents who come after them - the best possible support."
Parenthood and elite sport: German Sailing Association in a strong pioneering role
27-year-old Paul Kohlhoff said: "This is a mega statement for competitive athletes, a very positive sign for all those who are committed to top-class sport and still want to have a family." This is exactly the kind of support the association wants to provide. Mona Küppers says: "We are sending out the signal that everyone is welcome. And we are making the world of sport a little more diverse by supporting young parents with ambitions."
It is precisely because sailing is an experience-based sport that competitive athletes are often successful well into their thirties. Not everyone wants to wait that long to become a parent. One internationally renowned example is Dutch sailing star Marit Bouwmeester, who after winning three Olympic medals (silver, gold, bronze) is currently sailing as a young mother at the age of 34 on course for the 2024 Olympics and has her sights set on another medal. She is also receiving multiple support from her sporting and family environment along the way, but no special parental funding such as that provided by the DSV.
I want to win a gold medal. I believe I can still do that" (Marit Bouwmeester)
Bouwmeester says: "I want to qualify for Paris 2024 and finish my career in style. For me, there is only one place that counts: I want to win a gold medal. I believe I can still do that. That's why I'm here and why I'm still doing it. I'm very grateful to my boyfriend, who gives me this chance and takes great care of our child. And I'm grateful to my coach, who believes in me. He does a lot of work for me because I can't train as much as I would like. I probably only do half of what I did before."
For Leonie Meyer, Paul Kohlhoff and all parents who come after them
The German Olympic candidates are prime examples of the fact that parenthood in top-class sport is not only a challenge for mothers, but also for fathers. After the birth of his son Bruno, Paul Kohlhoff wondered whether he would be able to maintain his level of performance as a young family man. He was happy when he realised at the start of the 2023 season: "I haven't got any worse because I have a family."
Leonie Meyer, kitesurfer and mother of a two-year-old son, says: "It's cool to be part of this new era, in which so much is changing for the better. And the DSV is one of the pioneering associations."
