Sports
Triathlon in Germany: The Career and Life of Pro Athletes
Isa Quarterone and Rafael Turtera detail the routine of triathletes in Germany and how they manage their sports careers.
Discover the lives of professional triathletes in Germany with Isa Quarterone and Rafael Turtera. They explore the quality of life, training structures, and European sports culture. The conversation also covers career management challenges, sponsorships, and Power Hub's mission to support athletes.
On the Café com Tri podcast, co-hosts Sérgio Magalhães, Beto Nitrini, and Wagner Spadotto welcome Isa Quarterone and Rafael Turtera for an in-depth chat. Isa, a journalist and founder of Power Hub, and Rafael, a former professional triathlete and head coach at Team Run Sports Hub, share their life and career experiences in Germany, discussing the contrasts with Brazil and the landscape of sports management for high-performance athletes.
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Athlete Life in Germany: Challenges and Advantages
Living in Nuremberg for over four years, Isa Quarterone and Rafael Turtera highlight quality of life and safety as major advantages of training in Germany. For women, the ability to run and cycle alone without concerns about harassment is a significant relief. The natural environment, with lush forests and landscapes, provides ideal settings for long cycling and running workouts.
The European sports culture, especially in Germany, is a key differentiator. Children are introduced to sports from a very young age, developing a vast motor repertoire and a solid foundation. Well-equipped community centers offer gymnastics and other modalities, comparable to elite clubs in Brazil, fostering future athletes in the long term. There's also an emphasis on rest, with shops closed on Sundays to promote recuperation.
However, it's not all smooth sailing. Public pools can be a challenge, with crowded schedules and a lack of respect for swimming lanes. The intense winter cold, which can reach -15ºC (5°F), requires adaptation and many indoor training sessions. Although the infrastructure for cold weather is excellent (well-heated homes), the climate limits outdoor training for several months. The training scene is more individual, with fewer social gathering points for athletes, unlike in Brazil, where places like Ibirapuera become venues for large sports meetups.
Ironman in Europe vs. Brazil: A Question of Culture
Comparing Ironman races in Brazil and Europe, Rafael Turtera points out a significant cultural difference. He describes Ironman Brazil as being "spoiled," with high-quality athlete kits, post-race events, and medals. In contrast, European races, like Challenge Roth, are characterized by more rustic terrain, often with dirt sections, and minimalist awards, such as wooden trophies. This difference reflects athlete expectations: in Brazil, the focus is on "pampering," while in Europe, the emphasis is on the challenging course experience.
Power Hub's Mission: Professionalizing the Athlete's Career
Power Hub, conceived by Isa Quarterone and created in partnership with other professionals, emerged from the perception of a market gap: the imbalance between the value given to influencers and professional athletes. The company acts as a hub, focusing on high-performance athletes and offering three main services:
- Image and Communication Management: Helps athletes define and tell their story authentically, aligning it with their career goals.
- Sponsorship Negotiation: Prospects brands, ensures the athlete delivers on promises, and receives fair compensation, countering the mindset of "product-only sponsorship."
- Social Media Content Creation: Guides the production of content that makes sense for both the athlete and the brands, considering each individual's personality.
Power Hub began in triathlon and seeks to expand to other sports such as running, skateboarding, surfing, and swimming, targeting markets with greater investment potential. One of the biggest challenges is educating athletes and brands about the value of professional partnerships, emphasizing that sponsorship should include financial compensation, in addition to products, to cover expenses and sustain an athlete's career.
Living from Sport: Performance, Personality, and Professionalism
While some athletes in Brazil, like Eduardo Taccone, manage to live exclusively from sports, the reality is that many professionals need a "second job" within the sports ecosystem itself, whether as a coach or in consulting. Isa and Rafael emphasize that it's not just results that attract sponsors.
Performance opens doors, but personality, consistency, and professionalism keep them open. Brands seek authenticity in an athlete's communication, the ability to tell their story, and to build an engaged community, more than just inflated follower counts. Power Hub's work aims precisely at enabling athletes to develop this communication and professionalism, allowing more of them to live decently from their talent and passion for the sport.
The Café com Tri chat highlights the complexity and opportunities in the world of triathlon, both in experiencing the sport across different cultures and in building a solid, professional career for those striving for excellence. It's a lesson on how passion can, and should, be combined with strategic management to achieve lasting success.
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