In case you don’t know Hartwig Gauder, here are some informations about him:

Hartwig Gauder, born in 1954, was one of the most sucessful racewalkers on the 50 km distance: GDR-Champion, World Champion, winner of Olympic Games and the World Cup. After he finished his career as a sportsman, he fell ill with myocarditis. He got in such a bad condition, that he had to be implanted an artificial heart, while waiting for a new heart. He was transplanted in January 1997.

Sports are still an important part of Gauder’s life. In November 1998 he even took part in the New York marathon, he is very invilved in mass sports and plays golf. Apart from that he is General Secretary of the association “Sportsmen for donation of an organ”.