Swimming star fights for more sustainability

Britta Steffen – Swimming star fights for more sustainability
Swimming, Breakdance and Skateboarding are what Britta Steffen (40) looks forward to most at the Olympic Games in Paris. Above all, “naturally, on the freestyle lanes and races where our swimmers represent us”. The 40-year-old won Gold at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing over 50 and 100 Meter Freestyle.

She fights for healthy seas and coasts
Since her retirement in 2013, Steffen works as a career advisor at the Olympic Support Center Berlin and is today a sought-after Keynote Speaker for the areas of mental strength and Sustainability. Above all, UN Sustainability Goal 14 resonates with the former professional swimmer: “It’s really about healthy seas and healthy coasts. The plastic issue is also a big one. If we consume too much plastic, it ends up in the seas, then in the bellies of fish and eventually on our plates”, she explains in the context of the awareness initiative “Einfach Licht recyceln!” from Lightcycle.

Together with the sports presenter Jochen Breyer (41), she supports the non-profit company that strengthens the correct disposal of lighting. In one video, they explain how easily old LED lamps can be put back into circulation. On sammelstellensuche.de, consumers can find the collection point or recycling center in their vicinity where they can dispose of their old lighting free of charge.

With the birth of her children, her consumption behavior changed
For Steffen, the focus on sustainability has shifted again since the birth of her children. “I look even more at what we buy for the children, because the consumption naturally increases with two children. Not only from a cost perspective, but also from a material perspective.” Steffen now considers more than before, “whether we really need it or if we can simply repair toys and clothing. Consumption behavior has changed again”.

The 40-year-old became a mother for the second time in the spring. Son Lennox was born in April, six years after the birth of her first son Quentin. Father of the two is the cameraman Lorenz Ackermann, with whom she has been together since 2011. Steffen gave speeches again only a few weeks after the birth of her second son in the context of her self-employed work.

Britta Steffen, a renowned swimmer who won Gold at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, now focuses on promoting sustainability in her post-athletic career in Berlin.
After the birth of her children, Steffen’s consumption behavior changed, with a greater emphasis on reducing waste and repairing items instead of buying new ones.
Steffen currently supports the non-profit company Jochen Breyer founded, which aims to improve the correct disposal of lighting, and she has even featured in a video promoting their cause.
The Olympic Games in Paris, where Steffen is excited about Breakdance, Skateboarding, and swimming events, also shares a strong connection with her passion for sustainability, as she advocates for UN Sustainability Goal 14.
In her keynote speeches and career advising roles, Steffen emphasizes the importance of mental strength and sustainability, inspiring others to think critically about their consumption habits and ecological impact.