12th January 2010 01:42
In the fourth in a series of profiles of the national winners of the inaugural Women's Leadership Awards, European Athletics speaks to Germany's Steffi Nerius.
Steffi Nerius could hardly have scripted the end of her career as an athlete any better. The German Javelin star bowed out in simply spectacular style by winning gold at the IAAF World Championships in front of a partisan home crowd in Berlin.
It was a pretty impressive way to say goodbye.
Nerius' illustrious career saw her compete in four Olympic Games, from Atlanta 1996 to Beijing 2008, win the national championships four times and claim gold at the 2006 European Athletics Championships in Gothenburg.
Her inspiration throughout her time as an athlete was clear: 'My main target was to throw as far as I can and to one day be on top of the podium and hear the national anthem of Germany,' said Nerius recently.
She achieved all that and more. Throughout her successful career, Nerius was praised by those around her for being able to balance the demands of being a professional athlete with her role as a leader in other areas of the sport.
The 37-year-old Nerius is now poised to make a similar impression with her off-the-field activities to when she delighted her fans at the Berlin Olympic Stadium last August.
She is heavily involved with her club in Leverkusen, most notably coaching disabled athletes. Nerius was honoured with the fair play award of the German ministry of the Interior for her commitment to this cause.
'At all times I had an eye on my professional career, mainly my sports career, and now I have found a perfect way to connect them both. In addition I'm dedicated to disabled sports and have built my own development association ‘ACLIVE,'' said Nerius.
Nerius positivity extends to her views on the position of women in the sport in the coming years. While noting that men and women are still not on an entirely equal level, pointing to differences in prize money, she does see progress on the horizon.
'In my opinion we have a good position. For the new Diamond League Meetings, for example, the prize money will be equal in 2010 for men and women.'