From Canada to Bad Bayersoien: Isolde in our interview

16th February 2006

Isolde Holderied recently returned from the 2006 FULDA Challenge in Canada’s Yukon Territory. Following these eventful days in the ice and snow, Isolde reports about this competition and in our interview she also tells us about her future plans in sports and her private life.

Q: Isolde, are you happy to be back in comparatively warm Germany?
Isolde Holderied: Yes. Following the FULDA Challenge, temperatures here are definitely not too cold for me anymore. We experienced temperatures around minus 38 degrees Celsius and had to wear a face protection to avoid frostbite. We were, however, well equipped with special clothing and therefore we were able to endure the cold.

Q: Which impressions did you gather at the FULDA Challenge 2006?
Isolde: Next to the competition, the landscape was fascinating. The Yukon Territory near Alaska is an impressive and virtually untouched stretch of country. You can travel for hundreds of kilometres without ever meeting a single person.

Q: How did the celebrity teams fair at the FULDA Challenge?
Isolde: With all four sports celebrity teams you were able to notice that they are all professional and real athletes. Heike Drechlser was in a team with Sven Ottke. Birgit Fischer competed for points with Joey Kelly. All of them did extremely well and managed to stay in the competition until the very end. All in all, the celebrity teams were absolutely competitive and impressed with their professional attitude and great team spirit.

Q: The FULDA Challenge is a mixture between motor sports and winter sports. Are you personally currently following the Winter Olympics in Turin?
Isolde: I’m a huge fan of the biathlon and watch all those competitions. As a passionate skier, I obviously enjoy watching the ski races as well. I closely follow the games on television, on the Videotext, or in newspapers.

Q: Next to race tracks and ski slopes, you will soon visit a recording studio…
Isolde: Yes, that’s true. I play the clarinet in the brass band of my home town Bad Bayersoien, and on 4 th and 5 th March we will record a CD in the studio. The brass band has obviously been to a recording studio a few times before, but for me this will be a debut. Honestly, I’m a little nervous. I know what to expect during a rallye race, but in a recording studio you can hear every sound. I hope my fingers won’t begin to tremble.

Q: What are your sports plans for the year 2006?
Isolde: As brand ambassador for Toyota and Fulda a few activities lie ahead this year. The next important event is the Toyota Yaris Cup, which I will be hosting from the middle of April to the beginning of October. Additionally, we are planning to host so-called 'Test Track Visits’ in Silverstone and Monza. At the end of June the Silvretta Classic Rallye takes place and during this oldtimer rallye I can actively participate in a race again, behind the wheel of a Toyota 2000 GT.

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