When ex-national goalkeeper Oliver Kahn spoke to 500 Penzberg students in the town hall twelve years ago on his motivational tour “I can do it”, Max Weigand, then a 13-year-old high school student, was also sitting in the hall.
“I was so happy,” he recalls.
Today the competitive athlete himself is on the road as a mental trainer - and has returned to Penzberg for this.
Penzberg - In October 2009 it was an experience for around 500 Penzberg students. Back then, “goalkeeper titan” Oliver Kahn came to the town hall to tell the children and young people how to motivate themselves, how to be successful and how to deal with defeats. Max Weigand, now 25, was there himself as a high school student - and was enthusiastic. Kahn's message was “on, on and on,” says the Penzberger. That made Oli Kahn the best goalkeeper in the world.
Max Weigand took this to heart.
At the time, he was struggling with shyness and depression, and was afraid of stumbling over his own words when speaking in front of others, says the Penzberger.
That was when he started running, and kept going.
He became a successful athlete who made it to the German U-20 championship in 2013, finished fourth in the 3,000-meter run and set the standard for the German national team.
“It was the best achievement of my life, the moment when all dreams came true,” he says.
Max Weigand from Penzberg now lives in Basel and works as a mental trainer
Today Max Weigand lives in Basel and works as a mental trainer. As such, he has now been invited by teacher Robert Einberger to speak to almost 200 Penzberg high school students in the eleventh and twelfth grades about the “pursuit of happiness and success”. The competitive athlete also told the youngsters the Oli-Kahn anecdote. "Unfortunately you only get one Max," he joked.
Weigand, who was actually born in Göttingen and moved to Penzberg with his family at the age of nine, graduated from high school in Penzberg in 2014.
Then he went to the USA to study psychology, to Fort Myers in Florida.
He was able to do this because he received a scholarship for his running.
After completing his studies, he moved to Basel, where he worked as a mental coach at Roche.
While studying online, he did his Masters in positive psychology and coaching psychology in London.
He has been a self-employed mental trainer for two years.
Last February, Max Weigand caused a stir when he set a new world record in the barefoot half marathon on snow in the Basel stadium.
The shy boy is long gone
The shy boy is long gone.
A self-confident young man stands in front of the students during the two psychology lectures as part of the career orientation in Penzberg.
Max Weigand, still a member of TSV Penzberg today, speaks like a machine gun for one and a half hours, literally bursts with energy, walks back and forth on stage, casually with a white T-shirt, open shirt and rolled up sleeves, his audience always in view .
“Psychology of the good life” is his favorite subject
The “psychology of the good life” is his favorite subject, says Max Weigand to the students. He wants to help them live better and more successful lives. The 25-year-old tells how all dreams came true for him at the German athletics championship. He was happy. But only for three days, then the feeling of happiness faded. Weigand explains to the students that long-term happiness is not found in the outside world, whether it's a “cool car or a cool cell phone”. Happiness comes from within, and that can be controlled through thoughts and actions. Weigand says that perfectionism can block you, he talks about positive thoughts and mindfulness, about self-confidence and "mental workout" and shows tricks to start the day on a positive note. "Happiness," he ends, "is a decisionthat we can meet in every moment of our life. "
