Rowing

Happy, proud, and relieved: Marc Weber qualifies for the 2024 Olympics

Contests & Awards, News, Rowing, Sports & Health

By finishing second in the B final of the World Rowing Championships in Belgrade, Steinmühlen rowers Marc Weber and his partner Jonas Gelsen secured their spot in the men’s double sculls at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. This success also means the duo will not have to relocate to the sculling team’s central training base in northern Germany—a move the German Rowing Association (DRV) would have deemed necessary had they failed to qualify. So there’s relief on all sides: about their performance given the strong international field at the World Championships, about the trip to Paris to compete under the Olympic rings, and, of course, about the fact that our rower will continue to train with us. Dear Marc, we’re thrilled and wish you and your rowing partner continued success. Give it your all!

10. October 2023

RuS Summer Festival: Inclusive Water Sports Center Steinmühle Opens

Events & Celebrations, News, Rowing, Social Engagement, Sports & Health

Hessian Television conducted interviews and filmed our inclusive eight

Shortly before the start of summer break, we marked our partnership between Steinmühle and the German Institute for the Blind (blista) with the official opening of the inclusive Steinmühle Water Sports Center: At our club’s summer festival, a team of visually impaired and sighted athletes rowed in the “Blind Date” eight to the applause of all visitors, while a team from Hessischer Rundfunk broadcast the event live on the “Hessenschau” program.

Hessenschaureporter Robert Hübner and his team arrived at the boathouse early this Monday, before the start of summer break, to get everything ready: Interviews with Olympic eight-man champion Filip Adamski, para-rower Moritz Hagen, and Martin “Stromi” Strohmenger, the successful coach and rowing instructor at Steinmühle. blista and Steinmühle have been working together on inclusive initiatives for a long time, and now this collaboration is visible to the outside world as well. Across from the Steinmühle boathouse, a sign on the dock points to the inclusive water sports center. People with other physical disabilities are also welcome there, as long as their condition allows them to row.

Active Inclusion

At the summer festival, para-rower Moritz Hagen impressively demonstrated how visual impairment and rowing can go hand in hand. “It’s really about body control,” he told the reporter, adding that he was happy to be actively integrated as an athlete with a disability.

Moritz Hagen has been training intensively for about a year alongside Björn Eckert, another visually impaired rower. Both are highly ambitious.

Several prominent figures from the rowing world attended the event at the Steinmühlen Boathouse, where RuS Chairman Aron Stürmer and outgoing principal Bernd Holly led the program. In addition to Olympic champion Adamski, the event was also attended by the former world champion in the double sculls, Stephan Krüger, Steinmühle’s current rising star Marc Weber, and Lucas Schäfer—a native of Gisselberg, 2016 Olympian, and holder of the 6,000-meter ergometer world record, which was set at Steinmühle—were also in attendance. Steinmühle students Maxim Dyck, Maurits Juhre, and Lennart Holly were also in attendance. The athletes now row in the Bundesliga. We were also delighted that public figures attended our event, including First District Deputy Maria Zachow and Cappeler Mayor Peter Hesse.

Significant investments

“We see ourselves as part of the city’s community,” explained Egon Vaupel, chairman of the Steinmühle School Association, in his speech, referring equally to Steinmühle, rowing at Steinmühle, and the founding of the inclusive water sports center. Vaupel described Claus Duncker, the former CEO of blista and current treasurer of RuS Steinmühle, as “one of the driving forces behind this sustainable partnership.” The Steinmühle School Association alone has invested half a million euros in the project to date. The project, including its infrastructure and personnel resources, can currently be used equally by both institutions. Steinmühle maintains a cooperative relationship with blista and its new CEO, Patrick Temmesfeld.

Michael Neirich coordinates

When it comes to rowing, Steinmühle is looking to the future with optimism. The boarding school and the school have provided the team with more top rowers, as well as some who have (re)discovered rowing. Steinmühle physical education teacher Michael Neirich has taken on the role of coordinating the rowing program.

In light of these structures, RuS President Aron Stürmer, Vice President and Steinmühle School Principal Björn Gemmer, and School Director Dirk Konnertz look back on the summer festival with satisfaction and are optimistic about the future of rowing at Steinmühle. The sport is and will remain an important part of the school and boarding school.

Link to the Hessenschau report:

https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/hessenschau/inklusives-wassersportzentrum-eroeffnet/hr-fernsehen/Y3JpZDovL2hyLW9ubGluZS8yMDc0MTQ

31. August 2023

Boats christened, achievements celebrated: RuS wrapped up the school year

Events & Celebrations, News, Rowing, Sports & Health

The summer festival of the Rudern und Sport Steinmühle club came to a close with everyone—guests, parents, students, and organizers—in high spirits, and with a substantial amount of money raised for the club’s coffers. This casual get-together featuring barbecue and cold drinks at the end of each school year has already become a tradition. It has also become customary for attendees of the summer concert—which previously took place in the Forum—to wrap up the evening at the newly renovated Steinmühle boathouse.

“The celebration was a complete success,” summarized Björn Gemmer, principal of Steinmühlen School and vice president of the RuS club. He, along with the main organizer—rowing instructor and coach Martin “Stromi” Strohmenger—and chairman Dietrich Mägerlein, were delighted with the successful summer celebration and the christening of two boats, which was performed by the deputy chairman of the school association, Gerhard Müller, as well as by Claus Duncker. The boats are now named “Schorsch” and… “Claus”! — If that isn’t a good omen for what’s to come…!

Many other prominent figures from the Marburg area attended the official expansion of the boat fleet. Among those present were First District Deputy Marian Zachow, Marburg Mayor Nadine Bernshausen, City Councilwoman Kirsten Dinnebier, Björn Backes, head of the Sports Department for the University City of Marburg, and Andreas Bartsch, who, as Chairman of the Board of Sparkasse Marburg-Biedenkopf, has always been and remains closely connected to Steinmühle in the context of all construction projects. At the same time, senior staff members from Steinmühle also stopped by, including Thomas Hoffmann (Managing Director of the boarding school) and Anke Muszynski (Head of the boarding school), Dirk Konnertz (Managing Director of the Steinmühle School) and Headmaster Bernd Holly, as well as members of the Buurman family—the boarding school’s shareholders—teachers from Steinmühle, and anyone else we may have inadvertently omitted from this list. On the athletic front, the highlight was the presence of Marc Weber. The elite athlete and new addition to RuS Steinmühle had just recently won a medal at the World Rowing Cup in Lucerne. We’ll be hearing more from him—and from the entire club as well. There are plans here that are no longer just sitting on the back burner.

19. August 2022

Spring Awakening at Steinmühle Boarding School

Life at Boarding School, News, Rowing, Social Engagement

Spring is definitely in the air, so the boarding school community took advantage of the weekend to enjoy many outdoor activities together. Finally barbecuing outdoors again, experiencing nature up close on the water while rowing, or hiking across the fields with alpacas—the Steinmühlers’ hearts blossomed this weekend! And best of all: with a little rowing, we were able to raise 650 euros as a donation for the “Starthilfe für Kinder aus der Ukraine” project in Marburg.

Barbecues in the on-site gardens

And so, three residential groups took advantage of the nice weather on Friday evening to kick off the weekend with a barbecue. “Finally, we’re sitting outside together again!” was the exclamation heard from everyone, accompanied by broad grins.

As darkness fell, a bonfire was lit in the Westfalenhaus garden so that everyone could linger a little longer and enjoy each other’s company.

Pet the alpacas or play sports?

On Saturday, the students were treated to a variety of activities. A small group traveled to the Vogelsberg district to roam through fields and meadows with five adorable alpacas.

“They’re so fluffy!” “They hop around so cutely!” “Oh my gosh, how adorable they are when they talk to each other!” The little herd of alpacas had taken the students’ hearts by storm.

And for those who still hadn’t had enough variety over the weekend, there was the chance to burn off some energy in the sun with outdoor boxing training or Ultimate Frisbee on the sports field, while other students took it a bit easier by making crêpes together or tie-dyeing socks and T-shirts.

ErgoCup Raises 650 Euros in Donations

This year, Steinmühle also participated for the first time in the ErgoCup, a competition among various boarding schools. Eight students—both day students and boarding students, most of whom train with Rudern und Sport Steinmühle Marburg e.V.—represented our school. Delegations from the boarding schools competed simultaneously via a live online broadcast: Which group would complete the two kilometers on the ergometer the fastest? The male rowers from Steinmühle even took first place in the 16–17-year-old category with Lennart Holly and Fabian Seidel, as well as in the 18+ category with Maxim Dyck, Jamal Jaber, and Sarah Kremer.

In the competition category “30 Minutes of Rowing—Most Kilometers Count,” boarding school director Anke Muszynski launched a spontaneous fundraising campaign: For every kilometer row, Steinmühle donated 15 €, and school principal Bernd Holly added another 200 €. This motivated students and teachers to give their all on the ergometers. By the end of the day, a total of 650 euros had been “rowed” together, which was then donated to the “Starthilfe für Kinder aus der Ukraine” project in Marburg—a joint initiative of Steinmühle and the Rotary Club of Marburg.

The ErgoCup will take place again next year—and hopefully in person this time.

Experiencing Self-Directed Learning Even in Their Free Time: Students Organize Their Own Clubs

But anyone who actually wanted to give it another try on the water had the opportunity to do so through students Maxim and Sarah in the “Rowing for Beginners” class.

At first, they were very wobbly and out of control, but by Sunday afternoon, two rowboats filled with absolute beginners were gliding across the water almost like pros, thanks to the help of Sarah and Maxim. “That was so exciting!” said Francine, an educator who also took part in the event. “And it was so nice to see students teaching us something. I hope Sarah and Maxim offer this again—I’d definitely be there!”

And so it happens time and again that students organize their own clubs with the support of teachers. That’s exactly what Nico and Ian did this weekend. “We felt like playing soccer. So we’re starting an initiative around that. And if that brings more people from different dorms together again, that’s great!” explains student Nico, describing his idea.

With this motivation, the boarding school community is starting the new week. The next boarding school weekend is scheduled for two weeks from now—we’re excited to see what activities await us then.

6. April 2022

The State of Hesse is providing 60,000 euros to support the renovation of the boathouse

News, Rowing, Sports & Health

State Secretary Dr. Stefan Heck presented the grant notification during a visit to the Steinmühle

The renovation of the Steinmühle boathouse is a major undertaking—but it is now much easier to finance: Dr. Stefan Heck, State Secretary at the Hessian Ministry of the Interior and Sports, presented Dietrich Mägerlein, chairman of the Rudern und Sport Steinmühle (RuS) Marburg association, with a grant notification in the amount of 60,000 euros. “Coming here was particularly important to me,” said Heck, who made the visit to Steinmühlenweg before the restrictions imposed by pandemic-related regulations took effect. He added: “Our state government is particularly supportive of the club’s inclusive approach. By applying for this grant, you were really just preaching to the choir.”

The Steinmühle boathouse was built in 1970. Champions and Olympic athletes used to come and go there, but now the building is showing its age. Dietrich Mägerlein: “We’ve basically renovated whatever we could with a few brushstrokes. Recently, however, we’ve also found that the roof and plumbing are in a condition that can no longer be tolerated.”

For generations, the Steinmühlen boathouse has been the gathering place for rowing and the home of the rowing equipment. Weather permitting, a large group of rowing enthusiasts currently meets several times a week to hone their rowing technique and speed under the guidance of rowing instructor and coach Martin “Stromi” Strohmenger. The partnership with the German Institute for the Blind (blista) is also a long-standing tradition. As part of an inclusive project, rowing has been made accessible to visually impaired athletes at the Steinmühle for many years.

Rowers as Role Models During the Pandemic

Several guests gathered for the grant presentation in the foyer of the newest Steinmühle building, located at the entrance to the school campus. Dirk Bamberger, a member of the Hessian State Parliament, delivered a welcoming address: “As a resident of Cappel, I am well aware of the significance of the Steinmühle,” he emphasized, and expressed his hope that the construction work would proceed smoothly and without accidents. First District Deputy and Vice-District Administrator Maria Zachow paid tribute to all active members of the club and described rowing as symbolic of how to deal with the pandemic: “You pool your strengths, all pull together, and find the right stroke rate. It’s all about mobilizing our strength together.” Georg Ritter, Executive Director of the Steinmühle Boarding School, highlighted the importance of rowing within the school’s overall athletic program and emphasized the support the project receives from the school’s governing body.

Ultimately, the state’s grant paves the way for a renovation project that can only be financed through a collective effort. As one of the key stakeholders—and the operator of the high school and bilingual elementary school—the Steinmühle Marburg School Association deserves special mention; its executive director, Dirk Konnertz, was also present. But it’s not just in financial matters that a network comes together. When it comes to pulling the organizational strings, coordinating efforts, and even rolling up his sleeves to help out, RuS Chairman Dietrich Mägerlein can rely on a team. His deputies, Björn Gemmer—who is also the principal of Steinmühle—and Bianca Zenker keep the rowing community on course in every respect.

4. November 2020

The Steinmetz duo rowed their way to second place in the state finals

Contests & Awards, News, Rowing, Sports & Health

Encouraging results for Steinmühle at the “Youth Trains for the Olympics” rowing competition: Anton and Justus Steinmetz placed second in the lightweight double sculls at the state finals, finishing ahead of six other boats. The women’s coxed four, competing together for the first time, immediately secured 5th place out of 15. It wasn’t until the semifinals that the team—consisting of Anna Rheinhardt as coxswain, Rebecca Zenker at the stroke, Anna Dinges, Julia Fischer, and Alicia Spitzhüttl—was defeated. Julia Fischer and Rebecca Zenker finished third in the double sculls in a close race.

Coach and rowing instructor Martin “Stromi” Strohmenger summed it up: “We now have a total of about ten young people who are very interested in rowing and have indicated that they want to continue rowing in competitions.”

27. June 2019

From Zero to Silver: Maxim Dyck Rows His Way to Success

Contests & Awards, News, Rowing, Sports & Health

Rowing has a long-standing tradition at Steinmühle Boarding School. Fourteen-year-old boarding student Maxim Dyck seized this opportunity and trained so relentlessly over the past few months that he won the silver medal right off the bat at the Hessian Ergometer Rowing Championships in Frankfurt—and he did so as the youngest competitor in the older 15/16—in his very first official competition!

Before he got into a boat for the first time at the Steinmühle, Maxim had already gained some experience. He took his first strokes on the Moselle near his hometown of Koblenz. From the Rhenania Rowing Club, he brought not only his skills but also a healthy dose of ambition. The new member of the Rudern und Sport (RuS) Steinmühle club quickly decided: I want to achieve something.

Four times a week during practice

No pain, no gain. That’s why this teenager is currently one of the most ambitious athletes in the Steinmühle weight room. He works out there four times a week and accepts that his free time is otherwise rather limited. Little changes in the summer. Then the 14-year-old rows in a single scull and trains at the same pace on the Lahn.

One of Maxim’s role models is RuS athlete Lucas Schäfer. It’s therefore hardly surprising that his goal is to become the Hesse champion himself one day. Just like Lucas, Maxim discovered cycling as a complementary sport to help with his training. “A good complement,” he says.

The fact that the boarding school student feels the RuS coaching staff fully supports his ambitions—and that, in his view, the club offers everything needed for successful rowing—makes it all come together. The fact that his parents support his rowing also gives the young rower a sense of security.

In his report, RuS coach Martin “Stromi” Strohmenger described Maxim as a “promising talent,” so it will be interesting to see how things unfold. The boarding school and rowing club community at Steinmühle will certainly be following Maxim’s activities with interest.

On the left in each photo: Maxim Dyck

15. January 2019