His vacation ends on the caregivers' bench

Your Lincoln Birgit Kempinger trains New Zealand fistball ladies

Birgit Kempinger, successful fist-baller for 23 years Image: Weihbold

Seven weeks of work, everyday life, Stress and worries. When Birgit Kempinger traveled with her boyfriend across New Zealand at the beginning of the year, she still did not know that she would soon be much closer to the country. The 30-year-old Linz player wanted to give some coaching tips to the ladies of the New Zealand national team. Tips have become a training camp, the camp a workout. Kempinger returned as a co-trainer from New Zealand to Austria.

At the Fistball World Championship, which was officially opened yesterday in Linz-Urfahr, she now wears a black and white dress. The preparation was not easy, but very special. "I trained a lot on the internet, we were on the phone and I sent them videos with exercises, and then I took them to the station last Sunday," says Kempinger, who was very well anchored in the sport of fistball for 23 years. "My parents played fistball, my two uncles too. The sport has inspired me at the age of seven, "says the full-time information technologist. She proved her great loyalty to the clubs. During all these years, she ran only for FBC ASKÖ Urfahr on the field. "I have my best friends there, there was no reason to change."

A lot of time for other activities remains the former national player in addition to the profession, the sport and their volunteer work as a coach. She tries, as often as possible, to look away. "I like to travel a lot, I'm going to see Japan in October," she says. Before that, however, all his attention goes to the World Cup in Linz. Today, 1:45 pm, things will be particularly moving for Kempinger at Urfahr 's Court Center. Then she meets New Zealand with Austria. "It's going to be a hot match," she says. Especially because his sister Karin runs for Austria as a captain. Kempinger's goal for the World Cup? "Fourth place in the group."

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