Timo Boll Changes Gear and Turns Focus to Support Tour that Gives Hope
By:
Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
Timo Boll in action at the London 2012 Olympic Games
Photo By: An Sung Ho
08/21/2012
A bronze medal in the Men’s Team event was the end result for Timo Boll at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Alongside his supporters he may have wished for a Men’s Singles medal but in that event he was not in top gear; the brakes to his progress were abruptly applied by Romania’s Adrian Crisan as he raced to the line.
However, on returning to Germany, he was in top gear and he more than merited a gold medal for his efforts.
The reigning European champion underwent a metamorphism to become Germany’s version of Bradley Wiggins, Olympic gold medallist and winner of this year’s Tour de France.
Tour der Hoffnung Timo Boll changed table tennis shirt and shorts to cycling garb and on Wednesday 15th August 2012 and stepped up a gear to take part in the first day of the four day Tour der Hoffnung.
The Tour der Hoffnung is the Tour of Hope; it is held annually in Germany and is a charity cycling event to support children suffering from cancer and leukemia, an initiative of Professor Fritz Lampert.
Professor Fritz Lampert Born on Thursday 4th May 1933 in Frankfurt am Main, Fritz Lampert studied medicine and philosophy at universities in Frankfurt, Berlin and Paris.
He researched the causes of cancer and spent several years in the United States of America; later he became a Professor of Pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of the Justus-Liebig University of Giessen and in 1983 he inaugurated "Tour of Hope" to support children with cancer.
Supported by Leading Companies The event has grown over the years; many leading companies support the Tour, its organizers having received numerous awards.
Professor Fritz Lampert received in the Federal Cross of Merit in 1996, in Russia the Children's Cancer Centre in Yekaterinburg bears his name; whilst in 2005, the International Olympic Committee awarded the Tour of Hope the Pierre de Coubertin Medal.
Celebrities Participate A further major aspect on the Tour is that celebrities take part and collect donations.
On Wednesday 15th August 2012, a total of 400,000 Euros was collected and since its inauguration more the 30 million Euros has been raised.
