Katarina Witt
Katarina Witt is a German figure skater born in Staaken, a citizen first of the German Democratic Republic and later of Germany.
Witt's birth date appears in sources with some variation, with the Library of Congress recording her birth year as 1965. Over the course of her career she accumulated a notable range of honors, including the East German Sportspersonality of the Year award, the Patriotic Order of Merit in both its honor clasp and Gold designations, and the Silver Olympic Order. These recognitions span both her years as a citizen of the German Democratic Republic and her subsequent life in unified Germany.
Her distinction within German sport was further acknowledged through her induction into Germany's Sports Hall of Fame and her receipt of the Osgar. Witt has conducted her public life in the German language, and her career has been defined by competitive figure skating, the discipline that underlies each of the accolades documented in her record.
Quotes by Katarina Witt
It’s not like I didn’t do anything for 10 years and chose a new profession. I’ve been on the ice a lot. I’m not an outsider.
I was an athlete. And I proved I didn’t win just because I was pretty. I was good, too.
I never had a serious injury that kept me out of a big competition. Now everyone has injuries – to their feet or their knees or their backs.
I learned not to depend on other people. I needed support, but it’s you who has to go out and deliver.
The feeling of losing oneself in somebody’s arms, yet at the same time finding oneself there, is irreplaceable. Nothing compares to the intensity of that feeling.
I can’t say, ‘It doesn’t matter if you win or lose.’ It’s not true. You go in to win.
When youre young, you dont think very far ahead. You just think in terms of the next day, the next week, the next competition. You dont think about injuries that could threaten your long-term health.
I know this is maybe naive, but one day I hope there will be peace in the world. Maybe one day the flowers will come back.