A guest at the ORF Sportstammtisch: Extreme sport between fascination and controversy

On 2 October 2025, I will join exceptional ultracycling athlete Elena Roch at the ORF Sportstammtisch. Our subject is extreme sport, a field that fascinates and divides opinion in equal measure.

Extreme sport: limits and personal fulfilment

Hosted by ORF presenter Rainer Pariasek and psychiatrist and psychotherapist Michael Musalek, we will discuss the deeper aspects of extreme sport. What drives people to deliberately push their physical and psychological limits?

The evening’s central questions

• Motivation: what truly drives extreme sporting challenges?
• Risk management: where is the line between calculated risk and dangerously overestimating yourself?
• Potential for addiction: when does passion become a problematic dependence?
• Everyday application: which skills from extreme sport help in professional and private life?
• Social media: how does a presence on social platforms change extreme sport?

Elena Roch: world-class ultracycling

My fellow guest Elena Roch is one of the world’s most successful ultracycling athletes:

• Four-time winner of Race Around Niederösterreich (2024, 2025)
• Winner of Race Around Austria 2025, setting a record of 3 days, 22 hours and 55 minutes
• 2024 world champion in the 24-hour individual time trial in Borrego Springs, USA
• Women’s course record

Her motto, “DREAM BIG!”, perfectly captures the mindset of extreme athletes. Life is too short to leave dreams as dreams.

My perspective: #lifeworktrailbalance in practice

As an IT entrepreneur, father and ultra runner, I bring a particular perspective. My experiences at races such as the Eiger250, Grossglockner Ultra-Trail and the legendary PTL (Petite Trotte à Léon), 305 kilometres with 25,000 metres of climbing around the Mont Blanc massif, show that extreme sport is much more than chasing adrenaline.

The psychological dimension

With Dr Michael Musalek, we will explore the psychology of extreme sport. Athletes often describe feelings of freedom and personal fulfilment. Sometimes it can also be understood as an escape from civilisation.

The essential distinction is between:

• A healthy search for challenges as a way to develop as a person
• A problematic addiction to risk as a way to escape

Event details

When: Thursday, 2 October 2025, 7:30 p.m.
Where: RadioCafe at the ORF RadioKulturhaus, Vienna
Tickets: €12, with concessions available
Live stream: available through ORF Sport+

The event will also be available as an ORF Sport+ recording.

Why this conversation matters

At a time when extreme sports attract millions of views on social platforms, a nuanced discussion matters more than ever. We want to show how responsible extreme sport can enrich personal development and quality of life without downplaying the real risks.

Tickets and further information

Tickets are available through:

• ORF RadioKulturhaus webshop
• ORF Backstage (full price only)

Discounts:

• ORF RadioKulturhaus card: 50%
• Ö1 Club: 15%

My message

For me, extreme sport is a way of developing as a person. Challenges on the trail teach me humility, perseverance and the ability to keep looking for solutions in the hardest situations.

I apply these skills every day in business and family life. #lifeworktrailbalance means bringing the insights and strengths of one part of life into the others.

I look forward to an engaging evening of conversations about the fascinating world of extreme sport, both for everyone at RadioCafe and those watching the live stream.

Will I see you at the ORF RadioKulturhaus on 2 October?

Read my other blog posts for more ultra trail experiences and business parallels, or contact me about talks on extreme sport, leadership and mental strength.