Foundation Address by Katarina Witt

My very dear Sirs and Madames,
dear friends of the Katarina Witt Foundation,

at the end of my professional career in competitive sports, I sought a way to show my gratitude for the happiness and support I had experienced for so many years. I wanted to help the kids of today to find a connection to sports, so that they, like myself back then, could participate in an activity that would help form their lives. An athletic life is a life where rules count, where success and fair play go hand-in-hand, and where gasping and sweating aren’t indecent, but rather, strengthen character. One where a person learns to stand back up after hitting the ground. A life in which there is competition without hard feelings breaking relationships between winners and losers. In short, I want to offer my support for children and teens. This is the reason I created the Katarina Witt Foundation. I thank everyone who has supported me from the bottom of my heart.

It was a moving and incredibly motivating experience for me, making contact with disabled athletes. These are real role-models for children and teens, who, after an accident or illness, need special care. Thanks to your donations, the Katarina Witt Foundation has had much success in this area, in a number of projects. I am so grateful to everyone, who, with financial support, has made it possible to continue on this path and even expand.

I am so happy for each child who has opened his heart to sports, and who may someday compete in the Paralympics for Germany. However, in life as in sports, there are more important things than winning medals. Every child has the right to develop unhindered. We must make it our goal to see to it that disabled children enjoy the same freedom that other children have as a matter of course.

I hope to make that possible with my foundation, my personal presence and my name. Sometimes a little can go a long way. I am grateful for your support, and especially happy for the children who are getting a chance to discover their potential, experience the joy of movement, and through it, develop their confidence.

Love, Katarina Witt