The discipline of success

We dare to say that WFL is sporty. We are sporty in terms of fulfilling company goals, achieving precision in the processing of complex workpieces or developing new innovations in our machines. The health of our employees is particularly important to us. We want their well-being at work to be constantly improved and maintained in the long term. For this reason, we decided to give a sponsorship to Carolina Sandhofer this year. As a triathlete, she deals with health, exercise and nutrition on a daily basis and is used to delivering top performance. This is why we can learn a lot from the values and attitude of a top athlete. At WFL we regard the motivation that drives athletes to reach their limits as inspiration. On the one hand as a sporting inspiration for our employees, but on the other hand as a mental inspiration for all situations in life.

Of course, a person will never reach the speed of a Lamborghini on their own, but still demand maximum performance for themselves. In truth, the human being is an infinitely complex construct with many facets, which definitely shows some parallels to today‘s machine world.

A MILLTURN from WFL stands for maximum precision, enduring performance, power, stability and, above all, reliability. However, these attributes are not only essential for the machine tool industry, but also very important for athletes. A person‘s strength and endurance must be carefully trained. High performance results from commitment and the will to achieve unique performance. A direct comparison between man and machine is thus closer than you might think. The triathlon area in particular combines a wide variety of skills into an effective overall package.

Carolina Sandhofer, a young athlete on her way to the top of the triathlon sport world, is not far from this perfection. After graduating from the BRG Waidhofen/ Ybbs in 2015, the athlete began her bachelor’s degree in teaching for primary school, which she successfully completed in 2019 and also passed the state examination to become a triathlon instructor. With a lot of  knowledge under her belt, Carolina Sandhofer got off to a flying start and laid the foundation for her current success at a young age. WFL accompanies „Caro“ part of the way and supports the athlete in approaching her goals. At the top of Caro’s bucket list is a life as a professional and above all the Mecca of triathlon – the „Ironman Hawaii“. But first, she will compete in the Triathlon World Championships in St. George/Utah/USA in October.

Carolina Sandhofer now gives us a glimpse behind the scenes and, above all, tips on how to do sports professionally.

 

How did you get into triathlon in the first place?
I was a very active child, and I was able to try out many sports at a very early age. At the age of 12, I got stuck in road cycling and was allowed to compete in many races and even for the Austrian national team. I first came in contact with triathlon at the age of 16. After a great success at the Age Group EM in Kitzbühel in 2014,I decided to continue with triathlon.

What motivates you, what drives you to achieve your goals?
My biggest motivation is to get better and faster at what I love to do. In addition, I keep getting to know myself and my limits anew and see how I can push them.

How much time do you invest to achieve your goals?
I train between 15 and 20 hours a week. However, the time that I invest in my goals is significantly higher since you also have to consider the preparation and follow-up work. Basically, you can say that Triathlon is like a second job for me.

What does an efficient training look like?
For me, a training is the most efficient and beneficial when I‘m fully focused and with my head and mind on the job. That is when I can train best.

How does a triathlete become successful?
Triathlon is an insanely tough sport not only in physical, but also in mental terms. Successful triathletes can go beyond their limits and have a strong mind. At a certain point in the competition, it is all a matter of mind over body, because the latter is already very tired and would like to stop. Those who then manage to keep a clear head will be successful in the end.

Do you see any parallels in achieving goals in companies, creating successful products, etc. with sport?
Achieving goals requires a lot of perseverance, ambition and determination, no matter if in sports or in a company. If you don‘t lose sight of your goal and work on it in a focused manner, you will achieve it. Detours are always part of it and make life interesting and worth living.

 

The 25-year-old triathlete Carolina Sandhofer accompanies WFL in 2022 as a testimonial. She supports WFL in terms of sports and motivation, for example with training sessions for the City Night Run in Linz, online training on the topic of body balance and lectures on the topic of nutrition and sports.

Sporting achievements in 2021

• Win Ironman 70.3 Sardinia AK 24-29 with a 10-min. lead (5th lady overall)
• Austrian Champion AK 24-29 middle distance (5th lady overall ÖSTM)
• State champion overall middle distance
• Qualification Ironman 70.3 World Championship 2022