Tougher than the world’s toughest adventure race
Paul Guschlbauer’s preparation for the Red Bull X-Alps 2021.
It’s one of the most exciting and toughest adventure races in the world, and Paul Guschlbauer is one of its most successful competitors, having secured top finishes year after year. This year, the Austrian prepared for the Red Bull X-Alps—which takes athletes on a 1,200-km journey across the Alps—with more focus than ever before. He finally wants to stand at the very top of the podium.
The moment Paul realizes there’s no longer any ground beneath his skis, it’s already too late to react. Paul falls several meters. When he lands and feels the hard impact on his right foot, he immediately realizes he won’t get away with just a scratch. He tries to stand up and looks down at his broken ski boot. All alone in the mountains in thick fog, he knows: A helicopter won’t find him today. He’ll have to get himself to the hospital.
It’s already noon and the weather isn’t great when Paul spontaneously decides to squeeze in another training session. He’s in the middle of preparing for the 2021 X-Alps—the biggest competition in the sport of paragliding. Paul Guschlbauer, from Salzburg, is one of the more experienced competitors in the Red Bull X-Alps starting field. He has competed five times in what is perhaps the world’s most demanding adventure race, reaching the finish line every time and placing third four times so far. An extraordinary achievement for a race in which very few athletes even make it to the finish line.
It has always been his dream to compete in this event—but dreams and goals change—which is why Paul wants to finally win this year.
And so, on this day, Paul sets out to climb a snow-covered mountain not far from his hometown of Hallein once again. A mountain he knows very well and considers one of his local peaks. Cycling, skiing, hiking—Paul loves the variety of outdoor training activities in nature. As Paul encounters worsening weather on his way up and thick fog rolls in, he decides to push through this training session anyway and continue climbing to the summit. On the way down, he plans to follow the trail he left behind on his skis.
But Paul had underestimated the poor visibility. He takes a fall and has to ski back down to the valley on his own. He knows: No one can rescue him here now.
“In a complete whiteout, I didn’t see a snow cornice and fell several meters, landing very hard on my foot.”
The X-rays and the diagnosis from the doctors at the University Hospital of Salzburg confirm Paul’s fears: the talus bone in his right foot is broken. And the doctors’ prognosis offers Paul little hope: six weeks in a cast and complete immobilization of his foot are the forecast. After that, he’ll have to learn to walk properly all over again. Paul does the math. It’s March 11. About 13 weeks to go until the start of the Red Bull X-Alps on June 20.
Paul’s race against time begins. Together with the doctors and physical therapists at the Athlete Performance Center (APC), he devises a plan to make it to the start of the 2021 X-Alps after all. While his foot is immobilized, Paul’s main task is to stay mentally positive. Running is out of the question anyway, since he mustn’t put any weight on his foot.
After a few weeks in a cast, Paul begins cautious attempts on the stationary bike. It remains just that—attempts—and Paul has to accept that proper training with a cast simply isn’t possible. Patience is key so that he doesn’t overexert his body or his foot. A setback would surely mean the end of his season this year.
When the cast is removed from Paul’s foot in early May, it becomes clear just how much muscle mass he has lost during the period of immobilization. An MRI scan is scheduled to provide clarity. Will Paul’s bone have healed, or will the X-rays still show the fracture in his metatarsal bone? The Red Bull X-Alps takes place only every two years. If he doesn’t recover in time, he’ll have to wait another two years for the next race.
There is great relief when the images taken of his foot show a healed metatarsal bone. The doctors at the hospital, however, remain very skeptical about Paul’s plans to fully rebuild his fitness in just four weeks in order to be ready for the enormous demands of the X-Alps. But Paul is determined, and together with his physical therapist, he begins a controlled, step-by-step rehabilitation. Paul and his physical therapy team know that he mustn’t overdo it now. Alternating recovery with strengthening training sessions—including those using BLACKROLL® training bands —is key to success. Regular, targeted rolling with the BLACKROLL® and fascia balls is part of his daily routine and helps Paul’s muscles recover quickly after training.
“Giving up was never an option for me! My determination to compete in the X-Alps motivated me to work on my recovery every day.”
On June 20, he plans to be at Mozartplatz in Salzburg to hear the countdown. Whether he’ll be there as a participant or just as a spectator will be decided over the next four weeks.
On the day of the X-Alps 2021 start, Paul steps onto Mozartplatz with very mixed feelings. He has endured extremely tough weeks filled with emotional highs and lows. As with every edition of this adventure race, the starting area is a madhouse: spectators, athletes, media representatives, sponsors—a huge commotion until the athletes finally run across the square toward Gaisberg and tackle the first checkpoint of the X-Alps. He’s used to it, but this year is different.
As the countdown begins and the spectators’ cheers grow louder, he looks up at the helicopter hovering over the square. Paul has made it: He’s standing at the starting line of the 2021 Red Bull X-Alps. Paul hears the final numbers of the countdown: “3, 2, 1, Go!” and takes off running.
