Julia Taubitz – Between adrenaline, mindfulness, and the dream of Cortina

Berchtesgaden (FIL/12 Nov 2025) It's a sunny fall day. Julia Taubitz is sitting in her car. She laughs as she talks about her two “homes” – the tiny house on the coast and the motorhome that gives her a sense of freedom. “For me, that's pure happiness,” she says. “When I can drive to the sea, surf, switch off – that's my balance to the ice track.” But at the moment, everything is on hold again. Literally.

The big dream: the 2026 Olympics in Cortina

“Quite clearly: the Olympic medal, that's the plan,” she says without hesitation. Julia Taubitz, 29 years old, five-time overall World Cup winner, multiple world champion, has long been one of the world's elite in luge. In recent years, she has been the most consistent athlete in the field – precise, fast, focused. But above all else is this one dream: Olympic precious metal.

Because in 2022 in Beijing, she was so close. Favorite, in top form, gold within reach. Then – a crash in the second run. “At that moment, my world fell apart,” she recalls. “It really wasn't nice. Although I was back on the track the next day and set the fastest time in the fourth run, it took me a long time to get over that setback.”

Today, she looks back with a mixture of serenity and gratitude. “An experience like that changes you. I learned who really supports me – and I started working with a mental coach. That wasn't for me before, but now I know how important it is. I've become mentally stronger than ever before.”

Records? Secondary. Passion? Everything.

She has won the overall World Cup five times – only Natalie Geisenberger has achieved more. She has 30 individual victories to her name. But chasing records? Not her thing. "I'm not one to look at numbers. I set my goals as a young athlete: overall World Cup, world championship title, Olympic victory. If I achieve that, it would be wonderful – but I would still continue. I love this sport too much."

And you can feel that. Anyone who watches Julia Taubitz at a World Cup sees an athlete who lives every curve. She laughs with her competitors in the starting area, concentrates in the ice channel – and stands at the finish line with a big grin. This combination of relaxed attitude and perfectionism is rare. “I just love racing through the ice channel. And the thought of quitting already hurts me,” she says.

The courage to push the limits – and sometimes to crash

Luge is a sport that pushes the limits. Speed, precision, and courage decide hundredths of a second. And crashes are part of it. “I actually think it's important to fall over every now and then,” says Julia Taubitz with a wink. “It trains your reactions, your rolling technique – and you learn to deal with mistakes. When you make a mistake, it has to hurt.”

It is this honesty that sets her apart. She doesn't talk about perfection, but about development. About respect for risk – but also about the thrill of pushing the limits. “Without falling, you're not pushing yourself to the limit,” she says. “And that's exactly where it gets exciting.”

Adrenaline on and off the ice

Maybe risk is in her blood. In the summer, she regularly attends motorcycle races at the Sachsenring. “I think what the riders do there is crazy,” she says enthusiastically. “How they fall, get back up, and get angry about the fall—it's insane.”

She also rides a motorcycle herself, but not on the race track yet. “But I'm really tempted. I'm a bit of an adrenaline junkie,” she admits with a laugh.

The “Luge Girls.” – Friendship despite competition

As ambitious as she is on the track, she is just as warm-hearted off it. Her international group of friends, the “Luge Girls,” is close to her heart. Seven lugers from Germany, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland who have decided to see each other not only in winter.

“We founded the group at the World Cup in Sochi – over dinner. Since then, we've been meeting up for a weekend every summer. Lake Garda, Lake Constance, Innsbruck, Zurich, Salzburg – we've already visited quite a few places.”

It's rarely about luge trial course, but about life in between. “The way I see it, we're competitors for two minutes on the weekend, but friends for six months. We travel so much together, it's just nice to have each other.”

Madeleine Egle, her long-time competitor, was also at the last meeting – despite her ongoing doping ban. “We were happy that she came. It was important to talk to each other. In sports, you have to respect the rules, but as a human being, I don't wish her any harm, of course.”

Freedom in her head – and on four wheels

When Julia Taubitz isn't on the ice track or in the weight room, she seeks the great outdoors. Surfing on the Atlantic, driving her van on country roads, sitting around a campfire with friends. “That's pure freedom for me,” she says. “I know I'll enjoy it even more after the Olympics.”

Until then, the goal is Cortina d'Ampezzo 2026. The dream lives on – clear, focused, full of energy. Julia Taubitz, the woman with the smile that doesn't disappear even after a fall, knows that sometimes the hardest turns lead you exactly where you want to go.

“It's clear: the Olympic medal, that's the plan.”
And anyone who knows her knows she means it.