Whether off the Canary Islands, Hawaii, Peru or Australia - as the best German wave windsurfer, Lina Erpenstein has travelled to a number of coasts around the world. And despite her search for the best spots, the 25-year-old has remained down-to-earth. She has been firmly anchored in her adopted home of Kiel for five years and is focussing on her studies alongside her sport. As a medical student, she is particularly looking forward to her role as WBCD ambassador at the Mercedes-Benz Surf Festival with around 30,000 visitors - and emphasises how important young people's commitment is to beating blood cancer.
This year, DKMS Charity is a partner of the Mercedes-Benz Surf Festival and is looking for potential lifesavers in the surfing scene. What is special about the scene and the sport?
Windsurfing and surfing in general are energy-sapping sports. This also means that you have to pay very close attention to your body and listen to yourself. Health is an important issue, because only when I'm healthy can I perform at my best and enjoy the freedom of the wind and waves. This brings me to the topic of stem cell donation. Because with a stem cell donation, you can not only save a life in the best-case scenario - with a bit of luck, you give another person their health back and therefore the freedom to do what they love. That fascinates me and also speaks to me personally as a windsurfer.
Is that one of the reasons why you are committed to DKMS as a WBCD ambassador?
Definitely! I think it's important to make young people aware of this issue. For me as a medical student, it's also exciting that stem cell donation is an incredibly effective medical measure that can save people's lives. With little effort, you can perhaps save someone's life - this is not at all the rule, especially in the case of cancer. We all carry a cure for blood cancer - what an opportunity! That's why I think it's so important to promote this and I'm delighted to be a WBCD ambassador at the surf festival to raise awareness of blood cancer and stem cell donation. Young people like me in particular make the difference and are more likely than average to be considered as stem cell donors. They are particularly common in the surf scene and also at the festival in Fehmarn - so it's the perfect place and the perfect community to find new lifesavers.
30,000 surfing enthusiasts are expected there. What is your message to them?
As a medical student and surfer, I am passionate about prioritising life and protecting it. My message is therefore very clear: register and perhaps become a lifesaver! And every single person who registers also helps blood cancer sufferers to know that they are not alone: I am not alone. There are people who want to help me. It's like sitting in front of a metre-high wave on the water and knowing: I have to get through it now, but there are people behind me who will look out for me and be there for me when things get dicey.
Young people are willing to help. In the surf scene, people live values such as responsibility, helpfulness and togetherness on a daily basis. That's why I'm confident that many will join in.
You are also registered as a potential stem cell donor yourself. What prompted you to do this back then?
A very good friend of mine was considered as a potential donor after registering with DKMS and actually donated in the USA in 2018. She then received an anonymised letter from the recipient thanking her for the gift of her life. When I read this letter, I was absolutely moved and immediately registered myself.
Speaking of the future: what are your own wishes for the next few years?
The only thing left for me to do in medical school is my practical year, so graduation is within reach and the next big milestone for me. After that, I would like to concentrate fully on windsurfing again and try to improve further. Even though I've been windsurfing professionally for 12 years, there are still a few challenges that I want to overcome. Training as much as possible, preparing myself as well as possible for future competitions and attacking the world's best - that's my plan for the next few years.
If you would like to register now or would like more information about the DKMS workers, then just click here .
Andreas Erbe
Chief editor surf