Renate Gietl and Gerald Kammerlander crowned themselves as World Champions on natural track at the end of January 2011. After a long and exhausting Word Cup season both athletes quickly returned to their everyday lives. And they spend their summer break individually. The South Tyrolean two-times World Champion Renate Gietl traded her sled against children – in the best possible meaning. As a kindergarten teacher she takes care of the offspring and introduces the youngest to luge on natural track. “I haven’t started with my training yet. I play sport but just what I want to do. I don’t know what my training for next season will look like”, the 29-year-old explains. How she relaxes after the exhausting winter? “Listening to music, running and sleeping a lot. That’s the best way to relax”, says Gietl. Her Tyrolean counterpart, Gerald Kammerlander, is already preparing for next winter. Although, like he says, he emphasizes on “quality more than quantity” in his training. He is satisfied with the result. “Due to my vocational education I did not have so much time for training. But the status quo is okay.” The champion from Umhausen completed two educations becoming a nutritional coach and a health coach. From now on he will work in a hotel in Seefeld (Tyrol). He is going to spend the remaining time with strength training and roadwork. “And if there’s still some time left I’ll spend it on climbing. In total, I practice about 15 to 20 hours a week.” Gerald rarely trains by himself. He does most of his units together with his brother Thomas. In addition to training a lot, both of them don’t forget about one thing: “Of course we have our eye on the equipment”, Gerald reveals. It’s not only the body that needs to be prepared for the next winter. Photos (c) Hermann Sobe