What brought Armin Assinger to FH Burgenland? - Quite simply. The ÖH FH Burgenland and alumni FH Burgenland brought the presenter and former top athlete to campus for a virtual pep talk to bring motivation into the living rooms of students and alumni from the media centre. More than 330 students and alumni took advantage of this opportunity.

During the presentation, Assinger cited many similarities using the Kitzbühel Streif as an example. Everyone is probably familiar with the countdown before a ski racer starts the downhill. However, only a few top athletes know what it really feels like to start the race. Starting with the preparation and building up self-confidence at the start, through the leap into the unknown into the "mousetrap", to activating the last reserves at the finish. At the end, the award ceremony is about having achieved something extraordinary, about physical well-being and much more.

Did you miss the live talk and are now curious? In our FH Podcast Campus Talk there is also an exclusive episode with our special guest Armin Assinger - listen in now!

Mousetrap

"In the mousetrap you are extremely challenged. Both physically and mentally, as you can't see exactly where you're going. There are many unanswered questions. It takes courage, overcoming and confidence to jump down and get through it. There are situations like this in life too."

The Kitzbühel Streif is the steepest part, where you can't see exactly how it will continue - a leap into the unknown. But there are also so-called mousetraps in everyday challenges that you have to overcome every day for various reasons, whether in your professional or private life.

Steep slope

A steep slope also requires a lot of courage and overcoming, and it's all about the perfect line and the right technique. But what happens if you lose the "ideal line"? Just try not to make that mistake again and keep going.

"Life is like a live programme: said is said and done is done. The right technique, i.e. good preparation, is essential. The shortest line between two points is of course a straight line, but life rarely follows this straight line. Instead, we have to take detours, but we must not lose sight of our goal. The detours are because we make mistakes and that shouldn't make us feel insecure, because making mistakes is human and you can't do it without mistakes."

Larch shot

However, when there is a moment to take a deep breath, there is a great risk of thinking too much.

"It's best not to think about anything, or at least only about what's still to come and what lies ahead. But you can't let yourself get down. When I take a deep breath and catch my breath, I can still be ready to move."

House mountain edge

Everyone has a slump at some point. When your fitness levels drop, your concentration often wanes and you need another boost of motivation to overcome a weak phase. If you feel burnt out, it's also important to recharge your batteries by doing sport to aerate and oxygenate your brain.

"It helps me to think back to <Eye of the Tiger>, the song from the film Rocky, to motivate me again. Whenever the going gets tough, I turn into a tiger. You help yourself with mnemonic devices to overcome difficult phases. Many sports involve cyclical, repetitive movements that create relaxation. Afterwards, you feel better and are ready for new challenges."

Target shot

The final stretch is about activating the last remaining reserves. With the right training, you can surpass yourself by utilising these reserves.

"Every person can voluntarily call up 75-80% of their subjective performance capacity, the rest of 100% is considered an autonomously protected reserve, which is usually activated in an extraordinary life-threatening situation. Athletes want to get as close to 100% of this performance as possible, and this is possible if you train and try to push your own limits - in other words, train until you're spitting."

Award ceremony

In the end, all efforts are worth it.

"At some point, the question "Za wos" arises - what am I trying hard for and am I taking on all these hardships? For that moment when each of us stands on our own personal podium because we have done something really well, something that others didn't think we could do. At that moment, you're at the top of the podium and you release happiness hormones. Endorphins rush through you and you become addicted to that moment and you push yourself again to get there. Anyone can be up there on the podium - anyone."

The motivation to keep going can be different for everyone: personal satisfaction, the pursuit of social prosperity, advancement, money, physical well-being, "wanting to show everyone", wanting to be a hero or heroine or to achieve something extraordinary.