4th place at CIS national championship in 2006 & 2008
3 x1st Team All-Canadian
3 x AUS Conference MVP
4 x AUS Conference 1st Team All-Star
AUS Playoff MVP, 3 x Team MVP
Dalhousie President’s Award 07 (Academics, Athletics, Leadership and community Service)
2 x James Bayer Award Nominees (Academics, Athletics, Leadership and community Service)
Dalhousie University Athlete of the Year (08)
CIS Dale Iwanozcko Award (Best Student-Athlete) 08
1989-2005 Pro Beach-Volleyball Player FIVB World Tour
German Senior National Team (4 years)
9th place World championships, Brazil
4th place European championships, Germany
2nd place FIVB Open, Norway
German Junior National Team (3 years)
2nd place U-19 European Championships
2 x German U-18 Champion
Started indoor volleyball at age 7, beach at age 10
Provincial team (indoor) 1997-1999
Youngest player in German 1st Division in 1999
German Junior Beach National Team (3 years)
2nd place U-19 European Championships (99)
3rd place U-19 European Championships (00)
What do you stand for as a person?
I stand for integrity and honesty. I believe in keeping promises and respecting others. I believe in evaluating myself and self-reflection. I believe in meaningful relationships and the idea of unconditional love. I also stand for intensity and living ones life to the fullest while sharing with others instead of taking from them. I stand for doing things right or not doing them at all and working hard in every area of life.
When it is all over what do you what people to say about your life?
I would like people to remember me as someone who was true to his word and followed through on his promises. I want to be remembered as intense but kind and as someone who did not compromise his values and beliefs, even when doing so might have yielded short term benefits. I would want that people think of me as someone who loved fiercely and had meaningful relationships. And finally I want to be remembered as who worked hard and was fully committed to anything he did, always getting up even after tough set-backs.
Can you give an example of when you triumphed over adversity?
One obvious example would be the fact that I did not grow until I was 15. Therefore, I was cut from the provincial team and never ever got an indoor national team tryout. Still, I worked hard and never gave up my dream of becoming a professional athlete, although hardly believed in me. I played every position including setter and libero, because I was simply too small for anything else, just so that I could play the sport I love. Even when I was cut from the youth beach-national team after my first try-out, I never gave up and finally made the team and won a silver medal at the U-19 European championships, being the youngest (17) player in the tournament. Triumphing over adversity means for me not necessarily winning every tough game, but to always get back up and fight back, regardless the odds and circumstances will enable one to eventually triumph, regardless of on or of the court.
What gives you the greatest meaning in life?
When I was playing professionally on the FIVB tour, I saw meaning mostly in my success on the court as an athlete. That has changed dramatically. Although I consider myself to be still extremely competitive and intense, I feel now that meaning in life is derived mainly from our relationships. How I treat others and interact with them defines me as a person. My life becomes meaningful when I can treat people with the respect they deserve and manage to evaluate myself and my behaviour instead of blaming and evaluating others. This is obviously easier said than done, but I feel one needs to focus on the process not necessarily on the outcome. Striving and struggling to be a good and great person, which is displayed in ones relationships, ultimately gives meaning to my life.
