Kajakfahrer stürzt sich die wildesten Wasserfälle runter | SWR Sport

The images are incredible: Adrian Mattern from Heidelberg is among the world's best in whitewater kayaking. He races down gigantic waterfalls – his record: the 45-meter-high "Big Banana" waterfall in Mexico. Adrian Mattern was born in Heidelberg, and his father introduced him to kayaking as a child. After graduating from high school, he traveled the world and met professional kayakers in Chile. Ambition, discipline, and courage quickly propelled Adrian Mattern to the top of the whitewater kayaking world. These are precisely the kind of kayakers for whom no rapid is too wild, no waterfall too high. In December 2017, the Heidelberg native paddled the "Big Banana" in Mexico. At the beginning of 2021, he conquered the Saut du Doubs, an approximately 27-meter-high waterfall that straddles the border between France and Switzerland. Everything went quite well. Except for the fact that he landed face-first on his boat, breaking his nose in the process. But the 25-year-old is tough and quickly straightens his nose himself with a deft movement. In the video, he also talks about why he isn't suicidal during these adventures. Because it's not competition, nor the pursuit of a Guinness World Record, that drives Adrian Mattern, but rather the desire for new experiences. The desire for adventure in sometimes untouched nature. ++Up Close+++ Emotions, background information, portraits – we bring you up close to athletes from Southwest Germany. What's on their minds? What does their daily life look like? We tell very personal stories about extraordinary people. And we're "Up Close" for you. More from SWR Sport can be found here: SWR Sport on the web: https://www.swr.de/sport SWR Sport on Facebook:   / swrsport   SWR Sport on Instagram:   / swrsport   SWR Sport on Twitter:   / swrsport