We can make very good use of this support and I am delighted about it," assured the Chairman of ACE 1974 Gießen e.V. Theo Strippel when he accepted a donation of 500 euros from Stadtwerke Gießen (SWG) on Monday, 28 January. The cheque was presented by Barbara Momberger from the Customer Services department at SWG.
The association intends to invest the money in a so-called handbike. In contrast to an ordinary bicycle, it is not the pedalling of the legs that sets the pedals and wheels in rotation, but the muscles of the arms. An ideal piece of equipment for upper body training - and a good way for Theo Strippel to further improve his stamina. The club chairman has been dependent on a wheelchair since the age of 18. "As soon as we heard about the plans to buy the handbike, it was immediately clear to us that we would help Theo Strippel and the athletes at ACE Giessen," explained Barbara Momberger.
Commitment in the anniversary year
To mark its 75th anniversary, which SWG is celebrating in 2013, the company wants to regularly support projects, campaigns and clubs such as ACE. "We want to give something back to the people of Giessen and the region," explained Barbara Momberger.
Around 60 members train at the club and have already won numerous Hessian and German bench press championship titles. Theo Strippel founded the integrative bench press department in 1995. He knows: "As a wheelchair user, it is often not easy to socialise with other people. Sport offers an ideal opportunity to do this and gives you self-confidence. I pass this experience on to all children, young people and adults here at the club."