Kategorie: News
When Wheelchair Users Experience Weightlessness Underwater
Since 2013, Austrian Lotteries, in collaboration with Sports Media Austria and Austrian Sports Aid, has presented the “Athlete with a Heart” award at the LOTTERIEN Sports Aid Gala - honoring athletes who demonstrate a passionate commitment to helping others outside of their sporting careers.
In 2026, the prize will once again be accompanied by a project-specific donation of 10,000 euros and will be presented live on stage at the Wiener Stadthalle on October 15.
A World Record Holder Advocates for Accessible Diving
Among this year’s eight nominated projects is the Vienna Recreation-Rehabilitation Diving Club (RRTC), an organization from the diving community. Austrian extreme athlete Christian Redl - a multiple world record holder in apnea diving and an internationally renowned freediving coach and speaker - is championing the club’s cause. “That’s exactly why I support the RRTC,” explains Redl. “Because I’m convinced that adventure, freedom, and the fascination of diving should be accessible to everyone - regardless of the physical limitations they face in everyday life.”
The RRTC was founded back in 1988 - originally as a complementary rehabilitation program for wheelchair users following accidents. To this day, the club trains every Tuesday at Vienna’s Theresienbad and offers people with a wide variety of disabilities the opportunity to dive: wheelchair users with varying degrees of spinal cord injury, as well as blind and deaf divers. The club’s guiding principle sums it up: “We go diving together” - regardless of any disability a person may have.
“Diving can be a very special experience, especially for people in wheelchairs,” says Redl. “In the weightlessness of the water, many physical limitations suddenly disappear. Movements become possible that are difficult or impossible to perform on land. The feeling of freedom and independence can become a valuable part of rehabilitation and therapy.” He illustrates just how powerful this effect can be with a concrete example: “When a person in a wheelchair can suddenly float freely underwater - when, for a moment, they are no longer dependent on their wheelchair and are simply diving, breathing, and experiencing weightlessness - it becomes clear just how powerful water can be.”
Significant Effort for Special Moments
This is made possible by a considerable investment of personnel and technology: Divers who cannot move independently underwater require the close supervision of a specially trained dive instructor for every dive, in addition to individually customized, costly equipment. “Freedom knows no bounds - especially not underwater,” says Redl, summing up his motivation. “I want my support to help ensure that even more people can have this extraordinary experience.”
Vote now
From Monday, September 21 (00:00) through Sunday, September 27 (23:59), you can vote once a day per IP address for your favorite project at https://www.sporthilfe.at/sportlermitherz. Anyone who would like to support the RRTC and Christian Redl’s efforts can cast their vote during this period.
Further information:
Sporthilfe – Athletes with a Heart / Candidates
Vienna Recreation-Rehabilitation-Diving Club (RRTC)