Activities

IRONMAN Austria Klagenfurt 2014

 You already know that I'm not one of those who are sitting at home and wait for things to happen.. ;)

That's why I volunteered to support the PR & Media Team at this year's Ironman Austria.

What can I say?

We started out on Wednesday before the race by setting up the Mediacenter and preparing the Mediaguide.

Over the next couple of days we accredited the journalists, answered many, many questions and distributed information on the race courses and athlets.

On Saturday the first events took place - the Irongirl run (4.2 km run) and the Ironkids competition (swimming and running - the distance was depending on the age group). It was really cool to watch the kids although I can hardly believe that it is the kids who want to participate in the competition - especially after having a closer look on the way the parents were behaving....

On the big day - Sunday - I had to get up really early because our job started at 5am - and the race at 6.45.

We had to prepare the Interview area and then I took a photographer out by boat to get some pictures from the mass start. This is really something worth seeing - it looks like the water is boiling!!!

Throughout the day there wasn't that much to do but this changed rapidly when the first athlet, Ivan Raña, was about to arrive after 7 hours and 48 minutes. From that moment onwards we had to make sure that the journalists and TV Crews got the athlets they wished to interview. The whole event was an up and down of emotions ranging from two athlets proposing to their partners to athlets being carried away from the Finisher Line unconscious (scary).
I really enjoyed being part of this experience and made a couple of new friends. I definately want to be part of it again :D

1st Ladies Brunch/Charity Event

 Almost everyone knows what a brunch is - it's a mix of breakfast and lunch. So you probably think that a Ladies Brunch is a brunch only for girls. Well, in that particular case you are terribly mistaken. This Ladies Brunch was a charity event for the women's refuge Villach in may 2011 which I organised together with my friend and colleague Carmen Wernle and a bunch of of committed helpers.

The event was well-attended, and people enjoyed the free buffet and drinks, listened to great music by The new Jacks , a promising band of young locals, and had fun at the auction of paintings by emerging young female artists.

The event was funded only by sponsoring and we were able to support the women's refuge Villach financially and materially. 

Kirchtagsladen 

Some of you may have heard about Austria’s largest traditional folk festival - the Villacher Kirchtag. During this whole week of celebration groups of the Bauerngman, with their 'Kirchtagsladerinnen' (wearing the colorful, traditional costume of the Gailtal) and musicians spend several days (Wednesday - Saturday) to travel around the city to invite the people to the Kirchtag and raise money for their 'Kindlkassa'. With the money raised during the week is used to give christmas presents to less fortunate children in Villach at the 'Kindlbescherung'. For the third year this handing of gifts is now an event called 'Villacher Bauernadvent' for all people in Villach with music, Christ Child and storytelling.

For twelve years I was one of the 'Kirchtagsladerinnen', travelling around Villach and inviting the people, locals and tourists alike, to visit the Kirchtag. It definately was exhausting because the Villacher Kirchtag takes place around the first saturday in August - it can be really hot during that time - and the traditional costume of the Gailtal has several layers of fabric and is longsleeved. Nevertheless, it was always a lot of fun and felt good to see the people enjoying our visits, the music and dancing.  The feeling to do a good deed by raising money for the children only enhanced the good time I had every time I put on the costume.

Villacher Faschingsgilde

The Villacher Faschingsgilde is a club of creative and idealistic people who work together to produce a show consisting of dance, music, comedy, parody, critical speeches and sketches which is staged several evenings throughout the carneval season every year (January/February; the length of the season depends on the date of Ash Wednesday). The show is appr. 4 hours long and is recorded and aired by the Austrian Television Channel (ORF) - you can have a look at the productions through the years here. It is actually a really huge production and the club has roughly 200 members working in the areas of sound and light engineering, on stage, costume design, make up, stage design, organisation, etc.

All members of the Villacher Faschingsgilde do it on a voluntary basis and work hard throughout the year to present a new programm every year.

The club also has a 'junior' section and when I first came in touch with the club and made my first steps on stage I was only 3 years old. So, obviously, this is something I grew up with - my grandpa was a member and my mum is too.

When I was old enough (or too old for the 'juniors') I switched to the 'adult' section where I switched through various 'fields' - acting, catering & backstage organisation - until I got stuck with dancing. I'm now a member of the Showdance team since 2008 - yes, it's time consuming, but it's worth it and it's so much fun.<3