From student to event manager Germany

The story began in 2016 when I was a replacement for a friend as sector coordinator at the Mud Edition in Fürstenau. In 2018 it led to a permanent contract at Strong Viking as event manager Germany. "Playing a weekend in the mud, experiencing a funny event, that sounds like fun" were my first thoughts when I was asked to replace a friend back in 2016. At that point I was busy with finishing my study and Strong Viking was growing fast in Germany. That they would ask me to become an event manager was unthinkable at that time. Four years have passed and now I am responsible for all German events as event manager.
Even though it takes a lot of hard work, I wouldn’t want to miss all the freedom this job offers. The variety between office work and the build-up weeks outside and de design possibilities in a young company. All of these things make working at Strong Viking so special!

In recent years I have been able to witness how Strong Viking became bigger and next to that also more and more professional. New employees in specialized positions are joining us and new standards are being created - both in the obstacles and in the way we work.
The obstacles are becoming bigger and more exciting, but at the same time more efficient. Next to that our permanent building crew is growing closer to each other and they are a real team together. The beginning of the season always feels a little bit like a family reunion.

Even though there is a separate event manager for each country, the events are generally the same. Our participants experience a German event at the same level as in the Netherlands and Belgium. The principle behind the courses remains the same, even though the terrain and obstacles are different from run to run.
I notice the biggest differences in the approval requests. In Germany it can quickly take me half a year before I have an event permit in my hands. In the Netherlands it sometimes only takes a few weeks and also Belgium has its own rules.

Fürstenau is the first stop of the Strong Viking Obstacle Run Season and it is always fun to come back to Fürstenau. With the Fursten Forest-Offroadpark we have a very special terrain. In addition, we always introduce a few new obstacles at the start of the season, which is always exciting, not only for the participants but also for me and my colleagues.
Apart from that, I worked for Strong Viking for the first time in Fürstenau, both as sector coordinator and as event manager. So, it will always remain a special place for me.

This is a very hard question. Every location has its own characteristics and challenges. A special place for me will always be Fürstenau, as this is where my first "own" event took place.
The most exciting thing this year is definitely the new Water Edition in Karlsruhe. New terrain, new people, new special features - all this offers plenty of excitement.

The racecourse Iffezheim - Baden-Baden is a fantastic area! With the racecourse, the event area and the surrounding woods and meadows, the location offers an unique ambience. I believe that we will organize an excellent Water Edition here. The whole region has a huge potential for us. As the most southern Strong Viking Edition, it is the next step in our expansion to all of Germany (and possibly beyond…).