SSG 81 Erlangen started the project "Team Olympia 2016" - Seven swimmers from the metropolitan region - the goal: a successful participation in the Olympic Games 2016 in Rio de Janeiro - top coach Roland Böller  has already won 23 medals with his athletes - partners from the regional economy make two high performance training camps possible annually and have shown their commitment through several partnerships - Patrizia Medla, Sontowski & Partner: "We identify with the ambitious goals of the project."

ERLANGEN - A medal in the Olympic Games,that is the greatest success an athlete can attain in his career. Of course, this is also true for the swimmers of the SSG 1981 Erlangen. The swim club and its head coach Roland Böller have announced an ambitious goal: one or more athletes of the region are to be successful in their participation in the games in Rio de Janeiro and - in ideally - swim for a spot on the podium. The project "Team Olympia 2016" is supposed to make this dream come true. "With this project we aim to set a state-wide standard, underscore our status as one of the German swimming strongholds and, last but not least, we hope to realize a successful participation in the Olympic Games", says Coach Böller. In the "Team Olympia 2016" the most talented and successful athletes of the Metropolitan region are assembled and individually promoted. To enable success in this ambitious project the SGG has found several strong partners in the regional economy. "We are convinced of  the concept of the SGG and Roland Böller and are therefore more than happy to contribute to the project Team Olympia 2016", explains Patrizia Medla of the Erlanger Immobiliengesellschaft Sontowski & Partner, a key supporter. In order to promote the young athletes not just inside the swimming pool, the SGG cooperates with the Bertolt-Brecht-Schule in Nuremberg, which takes care of the young athlete?s school education.

Hard work in the pool and fitness room
At the moment seven athletes who have already been successful in the German Championships or German Youth Championships are planned for the "Team Olympia 2016". "But there also several younger talents who could make the team ", reports Böller. Other than the neccessary talent, an exceptional willingness to perform is required from the team members.  "The swimmers of the team must endure nine training sessions a week. This includes training in the swimming pool as well as running and weight training", explains the Coach. All in all the young athletes invest about four to six hours every day into their sport. "It is hard work to swimm amongst the top athletes around the world. But everybody is motivated and committed", he says. At the end of every year the performance, motivation and perspectives of every athlete are carefully evaluated.

An experienced and successful coach
The "Team Olympia 2016" is led by Roland Böller, an experienced coach who has already won 23 medals with his athletes in the Olympic Games as well as in World and European Championships. He celebrated his greatest success with Hannah Stockbauer, who he suppored in winning five World Champion and three European Champion titles.  Though the swimmer, after who the Erlanger swimming complex where young swimmers are also trained is named, did not win the Olympic Gold Medal in the Olympic Games, she achieved the Bronze medal with the German team in 2004 for 4 x 200 meters freestyle.  In 2001 and 2003, the German Olympic Sports Federation honored Roland Böller as Trainer of the Year. "Roland Böller is a very committed trainer who has a special bond with his swimmers. We are glad to have such a top coach in Erlangen", explains Martina Markus, Vice President of the Bavarian Swimming Association.

Companies enable professional training
A key training element for the development of the young athletes is regular high performance training camps that allow a professional training under special circumstances. "Unfortunately it is not possible to organize such high performance training camps everywhere. We have bases in Flagstaff in the U.S. and in the Spanish Sierra Nevada", explains Böller. Conditions for conducting intensive trainings are perfect at these locations due to the altitude, but the trainings are expensive. "Fortunately our partners from the economy make these professional endeavours possible", rejoices the Coach. The companies Sontowski & Partner, Mauss Bau, Heinlein, Der Beck, ZBI, defacto, Sparkasse Erlangen and the BU-Holding (Obi) are financing not only the high performance training camps, but they also sponsor the athletes. "We identify with the ambitious goal of the project and want to help see the Erlanger athletes participate in the Olympic Games. Furthermore, we hope to highlight Erlangen as an important swimming stronghold, explains Patrizia Medla of Sontowski & Partner.
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