ZP FACES

Kati Wilhelm

With three gold and three silver medals and one bronze medal, Kati Wilhelm is the most successful biathlete at the Olympic Games ever. The success story of the Thuringian born in 1976 began in cross-country skiing. In 1999 she changed saddles and started an unprecedented biathlon career. In the next eleven years Kati Wilhelm will not only win seven Olympic medals but also five World Championship titles (and four World Championship silver and bronze medals each), will be overall World Cup winner in 2005/2006 and runner-up in the overall World Cup three times.

On the road to success

Kati Wilhelm has mastered the exit from the cross-country ski run well and is now successfully on the way in other areas. And she has been doing so for many years now - it's hard to believe that the Thuringian woman in a racing suit and on cross-country skis is still so incredibly present. One of the reasons for this may be that Kati has remained connected to biathlon - visible to the public, especially in the live broadcasts of the competitions on ARD. At Michael Antwerpes' side, she has been accompanying the races as a biathlon expert since the 2010/2011 season for TV viewers. "This is a great job that I really enjoy and in which I can contribute a lot. I'm still close to the athletes, which makes my work much easier".

Then, of course, there is life away from the cameras, which is enriched by their two children Jakob (2014) and daughter Lotta (2011). Both are present at the World Cup events as often as possible. The goal: family reunion. Papa Andreas Emslander is the German team's skier and at the same time, he makes sure that the skis are properly sharpened. Kati's parents are often part of the travel group, who support the couple in caring for their offspring.

The qualities that have distinguished her as an athlete help Kati in her new phase of life to bring all these things together - including the appointments she still keeps for sponsors. Ambition, diligence and a positive attitude have always been her constant companions in everything she does. She benefits from this in every situation in life. Added to this are her experiences from her time as an active sportswoman. Change of location, new coaches, defeats and deadline stress: Kati Wilhelm has experienced some changes - and coped with them perfectly.
Especially in those moments when the attention was particularly focused on her, Kati proved that she can withstand public and personal pressure in equal measure. This mental strength has always been underlined by her sporting success. Because a glance at the title collection shows The Steinbach-Hallenberger has won just about everything there is to win. With three gold, three silver medals and one bronze medal, she is one of the best biathletes at the Olympic Games ever. With the bronze medal for her relay team at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Kati Wilhelm put a worthy end to an outstanding career. "I have achieved everything there is to achieve. It was the right time to quit," she said looking back.

In autumn 2014 Kati Wilhelm fulfilled another small dream and opened her own restaurant - the HEIMATLON - in her hometown. "Steinbach-Hallenberg is my home and I wanted to give something back for the many years of support during my athletic career. I am an honorary citizen, feel comfortable here and wanted to create something for the people here and for tourists.

There's a lot to do! Fun with diversity - this motto also distinguishes Kati in her "new" life.