Kathrin: "You're doing this for yourself, and nobody else."
You have a hobby that not everyone has – and which is what led you to SHEKO. Namely, riding roller coasters. How does that relate to your success story?
“Riding roller coasters has been my hobby for a long time. I regularly visit different amusement parks and even travel to other countries for it. I love the feeling of speed and the thrill it gives me. Then came 2017. I got on a roller coaster, tried to close the safety bar, and just couldn't get it over my stomach. No matter what I did, nothing worked. I had to get up and leave the roller coaster. The stares from the others were uncomfortable. But what hurt much more was that I couldn't ride.”
Was that the moment when it 'clicked' for you?
"Not yet. I quickly shook off the moment and carried on as before. It wasn't until 2023 that I could no longer ignore my excess weight. I weighed around 130 kg . I traveled to England, Denmark, and the Netherlands, looking forward to the roller coasters, only to find I couldn't ride them because the safety bars didn't fit. That's when I knew: I had to change something."
And what did you change then?
"To be honest: nothing at first. Because there's still this difference between 'I have to change something' and 'I want to change something' . To get started, you need the absolute desire and the realization that it's entirely up to you. I realized that no one will walk this path for me. Everyone is responsible for themselves. You have the power to shape your own path."
That sounds incredibly confident! Did you ever feel lonely on this self-determined path?
“No, I wasn’t lonely on my journey. My husband and my two children supported me from the very beginning. And then I discovered the SHEKO community on Facebook . I only took the first step alone. One day I dragged myself off the couch and said, ‘Okay, I’m going for a walk now. I’m going to start exercising and doing something for my body .’ I put on some music, laced up my shoes, and set off without hesitation.”
