Spotlight: Alexander Ulrich, gold medallist discus throw, Invictus Games 2022, Interview Social Hope

Während der Invictus Games in Den Haag 2022 ©IG23

Lifestyle Calendar, Personalities, 3 February 2023

Spotlight: Alexander Ulrich, Goldmedaillengewinner Diskuswurf, Invictus Games 2022, gab Einblicke in sein neues Leben und seine neue Charity, das Social Hope Team in Hannover. „Mein Ziel ist es Menschen die beeinträchtigt sind Mut und Hoffnung zu geben und denen zu sagen, Ihr seid nicht allein.“

Übrigens: Alexander ist am 04. Februar bei der deutschen Para-Leichtathletik Meisterschaft in Erfurt zu sehen und am 12.02. ab 19:00 Uhr auf www.Radio-mit-Herz.de zum Thema Inklusion.

©Alexander Ulrich

Lifestyle Calendar, Personalities, 3 February 2023

Alexander Ulrich, der sympathische Goldmedaillengewinner der Invictus Games im Diskuswurf tritt am 4. Februar in Erfurt bei den Para-Leichtathletik Meisterschaften an. Vorher hatte er noch Zeit, uns ein kurzes Interview zu geben, was ihn bewegt und vor allem über seine neue Charity, die er zusammen mit einem Team in Hannover gegründet hat.

Alex Ulrich beim Training ©Alexander Ulrich

Herkunft: Ich komme ursprünglich aus Wunstorf am Naherholungsgebiet Steinhuder Meer, nordwestlich ca, 25 km von Hannover (Niedersachsen) entfernt. Mein derzeitiger Lebensmittelpunkt liegt in Isenhagen, ca. 10 km nördlich von der Landeshauptstadt Hannover.

Was ist Ihr Leitsatz: Erfolg ist kein Glück. Denn wer Erfolg haben will, muss etwas dafür tun und sich nicht auf das Glück verlassen. Denn wer etwas für seine Ziele, Träume oder Wünsche tut, kommt schneller zum Erfolg, als auf ein Glück zu warten, wenn diese überhaupt zum Erfolg führen.

Wann kam die Wende: Nach meiner Ausbildung zum Industriekaufmann, bin ich zur Bundeswehr und seit 24 Jahren als Berufssoldat angehörig. Als Feldjäger, Scharfschütze und Zugriffssoldat war ich in zahlreichen Auslandseinsätzen, eine gescheiterten Ehe mit einem wundervoller Sohn und einigen Krankheitsdiagnosen (Schädelbasistumor und u.a. eine PTBS), habe ich mein Leben nach 2019 neu strukturiert.

Ich habe mich über den Parasport in das Leben zurück gekämpft und meine Krankheiten akzeptiert. Die Kommunikationen mit anderen, war und ist meine Therapie, die traumatisierten Erlebnisse ein Stück besser verarbeiten zu können. Der Sport und die Medikamente helfen mir dabei, dass ich so gut wie gar nicht mehr am Rollator oder Gehstock den Alltag bewältigen muss. Ich kämpfe jeden Tag mit neuen Herausforderung im Alltag.

Neues Ziel: Mein Wendepunkt war tatsächlich die Email von der Gruppe Sporttherapie aus der Sportschule in Warendorf, mit der Überschrift SAVE THE DATE. Dort wurde ich nominiert für die Invictus Games 2022 in Den Haag. Mir wurde von heute auf morgen so viel aus meinem bisherigen Leben genommen und endlich hatte ich wieder ein persönliches Ziel.

Ein Siegertyp: Meine Neurologischen Einschränkungen durch den Schädelbasistumor, werden mich aber ein Leben lang begleiten. Daher fordere ich mich jeden Tag wieder auf das Neue und durch gezieltes Training bin ich mittlerweile im Para Leistungsport im Bereich Leichtathletik angekommen. Seit 2020 bin ich mehrfacher deutscher Para Meister im Diskus, Vize Para Meister im Speer, Nord-Ostdeutscher Para Meister Kugelstoßen und Goldmedaillengewinner bei den Invictus Games 2022 in Den Haag im Diskuswurf. Nun habe ich die Möglichkeit, mich im Para Leistungssport weiter zu entwickeln und mein Potential abzurufen und tolle Menschen kennenzulernen.

Aus dem Grund, dass ich selbst schwerbehindert bin und mit Inklusions-Menschen viele Gespräche führe, habe ich die Problemfelder ausgewertet und habe mir überlegt, wie man Institutionen, Organisationen oder auch Stiftungen gemeinnützig auch überregional unterstützen kann.

Und heute: Ich gründete 2022 das mittlerweile 7-köpfige Social Hope Team, bestehend aus Fotografen und Videografen. Wir führen Charity Veranstaltungen durch, begleiten diese und erstellen daraus Imagefilme, Trailer, Teaser etc und transportieren diese in die Medienwelt, um unsere Gesellschaft auf diese Problemfelder, wie u.a. Inklusion, Umwelt, Kultur zu sensibilisieren und zu informieren. Parallel arbeiten wir mit großen Unternehmen zusammen, die unsere Dienstleistungen in Anspruch nehmen und der Erlös dann gemeinnützig in unterschiedlichsten Themenfelder eingebracht werden. Wir nutzen nicht nur die Social Media Plattform, sondern mittlerweile gibt es eine Sendereihe zum Thema Inklusion in der Gesellschaft, mit dem Social Hope Team.

Zum Schluss: Mein Ziel ist es, Menschen die beeinträchtigt sind Mut und Hoffnung zu geben und denen zu sagen, Ihr seid nicht allein. Alle die meinen, es würde Sie nicht betreffen....vielleicht jetzt nicht, aber im Alter werde alle irgendwann hilfsbedürftig und müssen mit Einschränkungen leben. Ich möchte mit dem Social Hope Team unsere Gesellschaft, die Inklusion und die Menschen die es unmittelbar betrifft oder auch die sich im Umfeld näher bringen, denn genau diese Betroffenen haben Wertschätzung und Anerkennung besonders verdient.

Während der Invictus Games in Den Haag 2022 ©IG23

Während der Invictus Games in Den Haag 2022 ©IG23

Düsseldorf / Personalities - 14 Juni 2022

Alexander Ulrich, Invictus Games The Hague - "Never give up - you have to have the absolute will."We were always a kind of machinery that had hardly any points of contact with society." Alexander Ulrich was in the midst of his therapy at the German Armed Forces Sports Medicine Centre in Warendorf when he received a "Save the Date" email with the nomination to the INVICTUS GAMES 22 in The Hague.

Read also

Freedom Quilt, currently on display at the International Slavery Museum ©Pete Carr

Art Calendar, 29 December 2022

Freedom Quilt - a story of resilience.

On display at the International Slavery Museum, Liverpool is the Freedom Quilt, an art project of the Sophie Hayes Foundation. Survivors of human trafficking and abuse created an art project using fabric from UK department store Liberty. In an exclusive interview, CEO Red Godfrey-Sagoo talks about the great response to the project, but also explains the scope of human trafficking.

Alexander Ulrich, the likeable Invictus Games gold medallist in the discus throw, will be competing at the Para Athletics Championships in Erfurt on 4 February. Before that, he had time to give us a short interview about what moves him and especially about his new charity, which he founded together with a team in Hanover.

Origin: I originally come from Wunstorf at the recreation area Steinhuder Meer, northwest of Hannover (Lower Saxony), about 25 km away. My current centre of life is in Isernhagen, about 10 km north of the state capital Hannover.

What is your motto: Success is not luck. If you want to be successful, you have to do something for it and not rely on luck. Because if you do something for your goals, dreams or wishes, you will achieve success faster than waiting for luck, if it leads to success at all.

When did the turning point come: After my training as an industrial clerk, I joined the German Armed Forces and have been a professional soldier for 24 years. As a military police officer, sniper and access soldier, I have been on numerous foreign deployments, a failed marriage with a wonderful son and several illness diagnoses (skull base tumour and PTSD, among others), I have restructured my life after 2019. I have fought my way back into life via para-sports and accepted my illnesses. The communication with others was and is my therapy to be able to process the traumatised experiences a bit better. The sport and the medication help me so that I hardly ever have to use a wheelchair gate or a walking stick to cope with everyday life. I struggle every day with new challenges in everyday life.

New goal: My turning point was actually the email from the sports therapy group from the sports school in Warendorf, with the heading SAVE THE DATE. There I was nominated for the Invictus Games 2022 in The Hague. So much of my previous life was taken away from me overnight and finally I had a personal goal again.

A winner: My neurological limitations due to the skull base tumour, however, will accompany me for the rest of my life. That's why I challenge myself every day anew and through targeted training, I have now arrived in para competitive sports in the field of athletics. Since 2020, I have been a multiple German para champion in the discus, vice para champion in the javelin, North-East German para champion in the shot put and gold medallist in the discus throw at the Invictus Games 2022 in The Hague. Now I have the opportunity to develop myself further in Para competitive sports and to use my potential and get to know great people.

Because I myself am severely disabled and have many conversations with people with inclusion problems, I have evaluated the problem areas and have thought about how I can support institutions, organisations and foundations in a charitable and supra-regional way.

And today: I founded the Social Hope Team in 2022, which now has 7 members and consists of photographers and videographers. We organise charity events, accompany them and create image films, trailers, teasers, etc. and transport them into the media world in order to sensitise and inform our society about these problem areas, such as inclusion, environment and culture. At the same time, we work with large companies that use our services and the proceeds are then used for charitable purposes in a wide variety of areas. We not only use the social media platform, but in the meantime there is a broadcast series on the topic of inclusion in society, with the Social Hope Team.

Finally: My goal is to give courage and hope to people who are impaired and to tell them that you are not alone. All those who think it doesn't affect them, maybe not now, but in old age everyone will need help at some point and have to live with limitations. With the Social Hope Team, I would like to bring our society, inclusion and the people who are directly affected or who live in the surrounding area closer together, because it is exactly these people who deserve appreciation and recognition.

socialhopeteam.de

ALETHEA recommends

Towner Eastborne ©Marc Atkins

Art Calendar, 29 Januar 2023

Towner Eastbourne, the oldest gallery on the south-east coast of England, is turning 100 . In addition to its own Towner 100 celebrations, it will host the Turner Prize, one of the world's leading prizes for contemporary art. An exclusive interview with director and CEO Joe Hill was granted to us. Also read in this interview with Joe Hill how the political instability and recession is affecting his museum and the wider art world in England.

Criss Canning in her atelier in Lambley Nursery ©Criss Canning

Art Calendar, 15 January 2023

Smith & Singer, Melbourne: The exhibition of one of Australia's most important contemporary artists, Criss Canning, has just closed. Also read Criss Canning statement on the occasion of the exhibition.

Lifestyle Calendar, 1 January 2023

The extraordinary museums of Florence in 2023. If you are in the Renaissance city of Florence in 2023, you will probably visit the David in the Accademia Gallery, Botticelli's in the Galerie degli Uffizi, and you have already been to the Duomo. But there are many many more treasures that we want to show you in this article.

Muelle de la Batería s/n, A Coruña, Galicia

"Steven Meisel 1993 A Year in Photographs en A Coruña"

©Justin Paquay

Art Calendar, 5 December 2022

New exhibition of the Marta Ortega Pérez Foundation: "Steven Meisel 1993 A Year in Photographs en A Coruña". Until 1 May.

Portrait Francesco Cavallo ©Francesco Cavallo

Lifestyle, 11. January 2023

Can a recipe book talk about the relationship between love and food? Certainly, especially when the recipes are called "Cooking Moonlight Risotto". Francesco Cavallo, the well-known Florentine personality and owner of the Hotel Cellai has launched his first literary work, the cookbook „Cucina d‘amore e libertà“. His invitations in Florence are legendary, where he sometimes stands at the cooker himself.

David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away) ©Lightroom

Art / Lifestyle Calendar, December 2, 2022

Opening: Lightroom, London's new artist home, shows: David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away). The investors behind Lightroom want to make it "a new home for the world's great artistic innovators." Visitors can expect a whole new concept of immersive shows, as the artist has had a direct say in it. Advance tickets are on sale now.

January 25 - April 23, 2023

Monet at Art Cologne 2022 ©Rose Fedi

Art Calendar, 20 November 2022 by Rose Fedi

Art Cologne 2022. The results. The art market works. Figures reported. Art Cologne came to an end today. Now taking place in autumn, Art Cologne was well prepared, with a new hall layout, wide plazas, floor strips and security. Around 43,000 people visited the fair to see the curated range of contemporary works, classical modernism and post-war German art. It was questionable how the results would turn out, given the energy crisis and the Ukraine war: Read on if you're interested in numbers:

Der Moment

The Visit of Trash People Circular Valley Forum Ansgar Van Treeck

Art Calendar / Environment / Business, 19 November 2022

HA Schult's Trash People at the Circular Valley Forum in Wuppertal on 18 November 2022."Check the thing you want to throw away and don't give it away. It is the mirror of yourself. Don't betray your soul." 600 decision-makers from business and politics came together, including environmental activists from the early days such as HA Schult and former Federal Environment Minister Klaus Töpfer, described by the Forum as the "father of the circular economy". The participants were surprised by the Trash People, many of whom had never seen the artworks up close before. But the performance also shows what role artists play. They are not among the decision-makers, but art has the power to unite and emotionalise people, as it did on this evening.

Freedom Quilt, currently on display at the International Slavery Museum ©Pete Carr

Art Calendar, 29 December 2022

Freedom Quilt - a story of resilience.

The Fashion Awards 2022 at Royal Albert Hall, London, December 5th 2022 Credit: British Fashion Council

@MaisonValentino

Fashion 6 December 2022

British Fashion Awards - Designer of the year, Pierpaolo Piccioli. The most beautiful pictures of the evening. 6 December 2022: The British Fashion Awards were held yesterday in London and Pierpaolo Piccioli was named "Designer of the year".

Isabelle de Borchgrave © Courtesy of the artist - Photo/Foto: Jean-Pierre GABRIEL

Art Calendar / interview, 8 November 2022

Miradas de Mujeres, Isabelle de Borchgrave X Frida Kahlo. Paper of dreams and freedom. An exclusive interview. Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Brussels. 14 October 2022 to 12 February 2023.

Do you already know Düsseldorf? The most important dates from Lifestyle, Art, Fashion, & Gourmet in 2023. Let yourself be surprised by what the city in North Rhine-Westphalia, located directly on the Rhine, has to offer. In Germany, Düsseldorf is considered chic and rich, but the city is also young, diverse and rebellious, and the Düsseldorf Art Academy has its share of that. Discover the dates for the Invictus Games, ProWein, Art Düsseldorf, Classic Days, Gourmet Festival and much more. As well as a small photo series.

Art Calendar, 4 December 2022

Rock band Placebo X Stuart Semple: limited-edition vinyl and an entirely new colour. An exclusive interview!

The British rock band Placebo has released a limited vinyl edition "Placebo Paint", designed by the exceptional British artist Stuart Semple. Stuart Semple, also known as the "pigment activist", was the first to raise the issue of the intellectual property of a paint. Also in the media was his legal dispute with the English artist Anish Kapoor, in which he criticised the so-called monopolisation of "Vantablack". His new colour creation "Placebo", a beautifully changing shade of purple, is available to everyone.

Art / Art Calendar / Environment, 1 November 2022

HA Schult and Christa Steinle - we can influence people's thoughts, but not their actions. HA Schult at Circular Valley in Wuppertal on 18 November 2022. Alethea Magazine has the honour of reproducing an Artist Talk that HA Schult had with the Austrian art historian and then director of the Graz Joanneum Museum, Dr. Christa Steinle on 7 October 2006 at Palais Herberstein.