HYROX Double 2026: We did it 💪
On Thursday, Lennart Sass and I lined up for the HYROX Double. And we did it.
The past few months have been an incredible journey.
Training, preparation, coordination and, time and again, the question: how can we put all of this into practice most effectively during the race?
HYROX Double: Trust and Inclusion
Lennart has been blind since the age of 16. He is also one of the world’s best para judo athletes. Nevertheless, a HYROX race presents its own challenges: obstacles, very large crowds, changing stations and repeated situations in which we had to be particularly attentive.
During this time, I gained a completely new understanding of what inclusion actually means. Things that seem entirely normal to many of us suddenly look very different from another perspective. Small trip hazards on the floor, for example. Throughout the race, I was constantly alert to make sure Lennart did not get injured.
There were one or two frightening moments during the race as well. A moment when Lennart briefly stumbled gave me a real scare, to be honest. In those seconds, you realise just how much responsibility and trust a doubles race involves.
That makes me all the more grateful to Lennart for his trust, both during our training and on race day itself. And I am truly glad that I can now call him a friend.
Our Result and a Big Thank You
From my perspective, our final time was absolutely respectable: 1 hour and 18 minutes! But, honestly, something else mattered more to us: sharing this experience.
A big thank you to everyone who supported us.
Especially Heidelberg Marketing, or rather Heidelberg Convention Bureau, and the wonderful Mathias Schiemer, who, as so often, supports people from Heidelberg! I really appreciate it!!
And thank you for the many messages I have received over the past few days. They were genuinely motivating.
After the Race Comes the Next Goal
Incidentally, we have already made our next arrangement:
No later than after the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics, when Lennart will hopefully come home with a gold medal, we will do another HYROX together 😉
Until then, I will let my sore muscles recover.
Thank you to everyone who kept their fingers crossed for us 🙏
Hear more about training and mental strength in my conversation with Sebastian Fromm.
