The discussion, or depending on your perspective, the uproar, about how much influencer is in The demands that a modern professional triathlete should have are constant. Previously, it was primarily... Print media that drew attention to the sponsors placed on the clothing, Today, it is social media that unlocks the potential for brands to use the channel to appear as an athlete, to achieve synergy effects and ultimately to increase sales to increase. Because, as harsh as it may sound: In my profession as a triathlete, I fall under the... A company's marketing budget and thus I am partly responsible for the social aspects not far removed from the ostracized professional group of influencers.
It took a while, or rather, it required an innovative approach. sock manufacturer, until I found a medium with which I could express my thoughts and ideas I was able to express myself. Furthermore, I readily admit that besides the I have other interests in competitive sports and often express my political discontent proclaim. Like recently, when I played a question-and-answer game to stimulate the algorithm. initiated and immediately had to counter the so-called Bitcoin brothers. Now I could I will dedicate an entire blog article to this topic and explain in detail why this is so important. It's complete nonsense and offers absolutely no added social value. But I don't want to miss the opportunity to use this subject matter as a metaphor to discuss this topic. to draw a connection back to our initial topic.
That limited goods could only increase in value in the long term for mathematical reasons, That's incorrect, because that would require virtually unlimited demand. Rather, it's more like... Gambling with Bitcoin at a roulette table. Unlike traditional stocks, it Bitcoin does not have a price-to-earnings ratio that would indicate whether the price is currently favorable. or is expensive. Lacking a viable business model, there's also no reason to expect a price increase. Anticipate. Except for the expectation that others, in turn, also expect the prices to Expectations about expectations about Expectations, with one crucial conclusion: One person's gains are another's losses of the other. A large redistribution machine, a zero-sum game in which everyone Some individuals can win, but not all. That's an important distinction.
It therefore makes sense to occasionally rid oneself of the egocentric perspective and to take a more comprehensive view. For an extroverted athlete, the The latest developments in the sponsorship market may be advantageous for others, increasingly within themselves. For athletes who have swung, it can sometimes be a great challenge to develop such a to adopt a self-promoting style in order to win partners for their project. For For some, sporting impressionism is based on winning races, for others others in artistically prepared reels.
At the heart of an athlete's life: high-quality training | Photo: Simon Gehr
When I started taking this triathlon thing seriously, a young upstart from Bavaria set the... He set standards in self-promotion. His painstakingly created blogs were a benchmark for us. The training group regularly provides motivation for competitions in Germany. Junior Cup. And although the list of his partners already aroused much envy, He remained true to his principles, and today, ten years later, one must respectfully acknowledge that that his courage and perseverance are crowned with great success and that he is in terms of Professional external presentation and partner representation are still unparalleled. searched. I was simply amazed that my Bavarian buddy, after a five-hour Photoshoot for a joint outfitter, two more high-quality units were torn down has.
I myself had my own homepage at a young age, and I remember I still remember well how, during my time in the squad, I stood out for my skills compared to what is common nowadays. The practice was criticized for its very mild activities on Instagram and similar platforms. Unfortunately, this was and is the case. It is sometimes difficult to separate professional life from private life on these channels. separate, which is why using social media is like riding a bike for me. It resembles a razor blade. A fine line between the idea of convincing potential partners. and the intention of authentically including loved ones on this journey. While it is advisable People close to me, who mean well, constantly try to make my successes greater, to market them better. Unfortunately, I can't stand anything less than loudmouths and Deception, which is why I will probably refrain from doing so in the future and thus miss out on potential synergies. I will waste it. For me, sport is and will remain an honest benchmark, measured by Personal successes and failures take their toll. A game of expectation and outcome, of Preparation and competition, which I want to communicate honestly in the media, without all the while constantly thinking about the next sponsorship deal.
As explained above, a systemic perspective can be advantageous. Anyone who thinks that Angela Merkel, who has guided us very reliably through a crisis-ridden decade, deserves credit. cannot ignore the fact that their reign has brought about a drastic increase in It has experienced unemployment while simultaneously doubling the number of millionaires. And those who believe that an increase in the number of people who have a fortune from a Owning millions of euros and more, but generally viewed positively, is allowed Do not forget that the lower half of Germans are so disproportionately represented in the wealth distribution. has virtually no savings and owns hardly anything.
Recently, however, I had an experience, or as the mindset gurus like to say, a Learning that refuted or at least questioned this way of thinking. Having arrived in Budapest and blessed with the great honor of a very ambitious When I attended a swimming group meeting, my jaw dropped at the sight of all these people. young, talented swimmers, all of whom sacrifice themselves for their great goal Dream: to participate in the Olympic Games. In a country where the Olympic Sport, and swimming in particular, enjoys a significantly higher status than in Germany, where medal contenders are invited to talk shows and their faces are shown on Since candy packaging is printed, it seems understandable that young people People who work so diligently on their athletic progress in order to one day be in to follow in the footsteps of their sporting idols. And at the same time, one must remain sober. to realize that only a select few will succeed in making this dream a reality for the the vast majority will remain unfulfilled, and that in a country whose gross domestic product is only a fraction of the German population, including those who make it to the games, is far will fall short of our definition of economic success.
Is it all a matter of staging? | Photo: Simon Gehr
But a few weeks later, I had just returned from another two-week Having returned from training camp under the Spanish sun, the mood was suddenly euphoric. Spring had arrived, and even more importantly for the mood of the Training group: The tapering period had begun. The dark, cold months were over. It was achieved, and with the reduction in training volume, swimming also suddenly decreased by one point. Much simpler. A quick test to round off the training day, and there you have it. Milan turns, Gyouri looks at his stopwatch, he holds it up in the air, jumps, cheers, runs Back at the start, Milan holds the now-stopped clock up to his face; he grins. The grueling winter training had paid off. And regardless of whether Milan will qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris next week, this experience will remain in their memories. As I also learned last year, the Professional sports are unconditionally honest, without mercy. And at the same time, they are also... Stories like these, which would probably never make it into a print magazine, but which nevertheless To highlight the essence, indeed the beauty, of competitive sport.
The ideology of advertising bodies has also taken hold in Hungary. The hope is to... Achieving economic advancement through social media posts is still largely unheard of in this country. Widespread. Blinded by the 0.001 percent for which regular posting paid off. and whose income now actually comes from collaborations with renowned brands Depending on the circumstances, this development also seems to have become common practice in professional sports. Some ridicule it and continue to emphasize sporting success as the basis for any future developments. Sponsorship negotiations. Others, however, sense their opportunity, recognizing the systemic factors. Marketing realities, and extensive use of social media. That these Protagonists sometimes land better deals than supposedly better athletes, One might look on with envy, yet one must acknowledge that the coming about of those Partnerships depend on the corresponding added value for the company. Rather, In my opinion, it is both permissible and advisable to highlight the imbalance in the market. Certainly, there are There are positive developments such as the establishment of racing series and bonus structures. Nevertheless But it is still the case that very, very few athletes receive the majority of the prize money and to rake in sponsorship money.
The dream of every athlete | Photo: Simon Gehr
Although I understood the game of social media early on, I still lack a lot of... Leisure, to invest so much energy in content production. I much prefer working diligently. I am concerned about my performance in competition, but by nature, at least at my core, I am more of a realist. as a dreamer, which is why I now have two paid jobs alongside competitive sports and studies. I pursue various activities to finance my triathlon dreams. I sell my It reduces my work capacity and can lead to a loss of valuable regeneration time, but it also fulfills me alongside the selfish sporting ambition immensely, to teach and negotiate, on projects to participate and, more generally speaking, to help. Years ago I already started a Podcast discussion to explore the parallels and transfers between the business world and the To showcase competitive sports. An important message from my interviewees at the time: Be It's reliable, and you will succeed. I confirm.
Although I do regularly receive requests from older gentlemen for worn and completely It is important (!) to acquire unwashed one-piece swimsuits from me, and yet somehow I admire them. With what fervor and without any remorse some triathletes take money from their parents' home Having invested in an espresso machine, I would like to advocate for more openness and tolerance. to plead. Very few endurance athletes who call themselves professionals can speak from their own experience. to support a family on income. At the same time, there are individuals whose reach is not within their means. whose sporting results may be justified, but which, through its channels, have built up a solid income base. It seems so far away, yet it's so close: Regardless of whether Whether it's competitive sports or social media, it's always claimed that everyone is responsible for their own well-being. The blacksmith of fortune. A systemic perspective would contradict this.
