Brand ambassadors Thomas and Stefan Rettenegger
November 15, 2023 | Markus Lackner
Sky-blue “Felbermayr”-labelled helmets will be flying on Austrian ski fans’ screens more often in future, and Stefan and Thomas Rettenegger hope to be flying as far as possible too – because they want to fly high, not just in the literal sense: They are already well on their way to the top in their discipline, Nordic Combined, i.e. ski jumping and cross-country skiing. In future, their joint sponsor, Felbermayr, will always be on board. “We are very happy about the cooperation. Our aim is for people to see us and immediately think of Felbermayr,” explained the brothers during their visit to Felbermayr’s company headquarters in mid-October. They also share many common values with Felbermayr: “The fitness centre and the wide range of options in the canteen immediately caught my eye. I also think the Motion Heroes concept is really great. Sport and healthy eating play a central role in our lives, and you can see that at Felbermayr too,” explained 21-year-old Stefan, who wants to study nutritional science alongside his career in elite sport. But there is hardly any time for other things, the two confessed in an interview for the Informer. The two train for their dream almost all year round, every day. “We take a week off once a year, otherwise we train twice a day,” explained 23-year-old Thomas, who has already made it into the World Cup and is studying computer science on the side.
The partnership with Felbermayr now gives them the security of being able to continue to concentrate fully on the sport and get the best possible performance out of themselves. Horst Felbermayr is delighted to be able to offer this opportunity to talented young people: “The two are very determined and have the potential to make it to the very top. It’s a pleasure to be able to support them on their way there. “In addition to their determination, the brothers, who like to call themselves ‘The Rettis’, are characterised above all by their likeable and down-to-earth manner. This impression is also confirmed by the final question about their sporting role models: “Roger Federer, he’s an extremely good sportsman and still down to earth,” they both say.
In the fast lane
At the age of four, Stefan Rettenegger already dared to take to the ski jump. At the age of fifteen, Thomas won the bronze medal at an international school competition. At the beginning of 2020, the two demonstrated their exceptional teamwork: The siblings brought victory to Austria in the team classification of the Nordic Junior Ski World Championships. In the same year, Stefan even secured gold at the Winter Youth Olympic Games in both the individual and mixed team events. Since then, their career in national and international competitions has only known one path – steeply upwards.
While Stefan secured a podium finish with a bronze medal at the Nordic Combined World Championships at the beginning of the year, Thomas achieved third place at the World Cup in Estonia. Their clear goal for the future: To establish themselves in the World Cup.
Thomas Rettenegger
Stefan Rettenegger
