The surprising link between freedom and boundaries | Uta Pippig | TEDxBerlin
Uta Pippig takes us back to the 1990 Berlin Marathon, which she won, just days before the official reunification of Germany. Where she, a young former East German athlete, crossed not just a finish line, but a boundary that had divided a nation. In this powerful reflection on movement, memory, and meaning, Uta explores the dance between freedom and boundaries, and introduces her F.R.E.E. Framework: a guide to living with intention, courage, and awareness in a world that often confuses limitlessness with liberty. A two-time Olympian, Uta was the world record holder in the half marathon and ranked #1 women marathon runner in the world in 1994 and 1995. She won the Boston Marathon for three consecutive years, the New York City Marathon in her only attempt, and three Berlin Marathons, including the 1990 “Reunification Marathon,” as it is often referred to, after President Reagan’s famed “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall” speech resulted in a united and democratic East and West Germany. Uta was regarded as the “people’s champion” running with fist and smiles over finishes lines.Born in Leipzig in 1965, she was introduced to competitive athletics at the age of 13 and later became a member of the sports club “ASK Potsdam.” Uta studied medicine at the Humboldt University in East Germany, and after the fall of the Berlin Wall continued her studies at the Freie Universität Berlin where she passed her final exams as a medical student. Since her childhood Uta’s desire for freedom and movement developed into a unique understanding that the fitness she enjoyed gave her more freedom in life, a paradigm she started sharing with others in her public speaking series “Take The Magic Step™ to Lifelong Fitness and the Extra Mile to Success,” and “Running To Freedom™.” Uta uses her personal and athletic journey overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles to help others achieve their goals and dreams.Besides her running journey, Uta is practicing yoga and meditation for more than 20 years and became a Kripalu yoga, Āyurveda yoga, and meditation teacher studying with the prestigious Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Massachusetts. Uta is working as a public speaker and meditation teacher sharing her mental approach which has evolved since she started as a young athlete. Her seminars and sessions include Mindful Walking, Yoga and Running, and Loving/Kindness Meditation complementing her overall approach to fitness and health. Uta is columnist for WeLT Sport and is currently writing her book with the working title, Running To Freedom™.In 2008, Uta and her partner Michael Reger created the Take The Magic Step Foundation™. The organization works with charitable groups in the U.S. and Germany to improve the lives of underprivileged children and youth. As part of the curatorium of Children for a better World e.V., her recent program Run for Children brought the Berlin Marathon and Children for a better World together to help particularly children in Berlin.--- --- ---
Winner of the Berlin Marathon (’90,’92,’95), Boston Marathon (’94,’95,’96), and New York City Marathon (’93). Founder of Take The Magic Step Foundation and LLC
Website: www.TakeTheMagicStep.com Instagram: www.Instagram.com/UtaPippig
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/UtaPippig This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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