Quartet starts for the good cause

As part of the SUZUKI Hamburg World Triathlon powered by Hamburg Wasser, four triathletes will not only be competing for a good time in the open races, but will also be trying to raise awareness for an important topic with their start.

While Lars Thomae will be attempting the short distance, Anja and Christian Thometzek, together with Volker Adelstamm, will be competing as a relay team over the same distance in order to support the Besi & Friends Foundation in their blue, green and white one-piece suits.

The foundation has set itself the task of supporting people with autoimmune and neurological diseases. It aims to give those affected the courage to face their everyday lives. In particular, it supports measures that promote "help for self-help" so that those affected can hopefully lead an independent life in the long term.

Founded by Andreas Beseler, himself diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 20 years ago, who has found his way back to an independent life through triathlon, the quartet is keen to find new supporters in and around the Free and Hanseatic City with their performance at the World Triathlon Hamburg.

"A traditional triathlon right on our doorstep is always motivating. But as one of the founding members of Besi & Friends, I am primarily motivated by the good cause of helping chronically ill people. By taking part in the relay, I want to motivate people with disabilities to achieve impossible sporting goals together," explains Christian Thometzek, who will open the relay as a swimmer.

His wife Anja has already competed twice in Hamburg over the Olympic distance in the individual classification for the foundation and continues to be impressed by its concept: "I think it's great and unique that the Besi & Friends Foundation supports people with disabilities and that Besi puts so much heart and soul into it. Many people can receive financial support to make their lives a little more worth living again. Endurance sports can help many people with chronic illnesses to alleviate symptoms and contain the disease. Besi is the best example of this."

The amateur athlete, who will be taking on the running part of the relay, also has a personal goal associated with her commitment: "As an asthmatic, I personally found it difficult to get back into sport after suffering from coronavirus followed by long COVID. But true to the motto - giving up is not an option - I kept trying and set myself the personal goal of taking part in the Besi & Friends relay as a runner and completing the 10 kilometres in any time."

Volker Adelstamm, who not only has Cyclassics experience but has also cycled across the Alps, is just as enthusiastic - and also knows from his own experience how important sport is when you are ill.

"I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease in 2001. As I had already been active in sport before, I realised that sport was good for me. When I recovered, I invested a lot of time in road cycling. When I heard about Besi by chance, I was immediately hooked."

In the individual competition, Lars Thomae, a "friend" from the very beginning, will try to raise as much awareness as possible for the good cause. The 56-year-old, who has already taken part in several 24-hour runs for "together with the disabled", also wants to do as much as he can as a healthy person for the sick:

"If we then start in team clothing, we can best draw attention to the foundation and promote donations."