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Prix Romantik Liebold 2009: Awardee Joachim Franz

Romantik Hotels & Restaurants presents award for European values and virtues to the internationally known extreme-sportsman and aids-activist Joachim Franz.

'If you get to know him, you experience real authenticity. And you understand why Joachim Franz initiates projects that nearly exhaust his powers. He is not doing it for himself or his own success but to change things by motivation.' - Roland Zadra, President of Romantik Hotels & Restaurants International


The reasons for the choice: Like the Romantik hoteliers Joachim Franz defines his life by values. He names courage, intelligence, discipline, confidence and humanity. His personal development, the commitment to others and the dedication which he uses to bring his message to the people and to communicate values to teenagers are exemplary. Joachim Franz is a personality making a difference. And he proves: If you really want something, you can get it.

 

Joachim Franz on the award: 'I feel honoured that people think I should receive an award. It is a sign of great appreciation that proves that people see and understand what I do and that they think it is right to do it. That gives me fresh energy and I need energy to fight against aids.' It has a special meaning to Joachim Franz that the award is presented by the Romantik Hotels. 'I know and appreciate Romantik Hotels, because I always experienced a special hospitality and atmosphere there. Now that I learned more about Romantik, I'm no longer surprised because they live the same values that I do. If I may say something to the Romantik hoteliers and employees: Keep these values alive. Values and tradition are very important and they are two sides of the same coin. I think that these values should be transported beyond Romantik. The ability to do this exists. I have come across people who are - in my opinion - able to make even more of a difference.' Joachim Franz allocates the 5,000 euro related to the award to the organisation Hope Cape Town.

 

Until January 1990 Joachim Franz, born on November 11th, 1960, lived the normal life of a shift worker at the VW plant in Wolfsburg. Then came the day he said to himself: 'From now on everything changes!' The anti-sportsman weighing 118 kg changed into a marathon runner of 72 kg within three months. The first ten years of his sports career he concentrated on extreme sports. After accompanying an aids-infected friend and meeting with aids during long-distance runs in Africa and Asia Joachim Franz decided to commission his sports to humanitarian projects. 

 

 

 

1993   
Bicycle accident through no fault of his own resulting in a compulsory break. Sports comeback and concentration on extreme sports (Ironman, 24-hours-world records, adventure sports).

 

1999   
Joachim Franz launches the team 'Joachim Franz' with the main task of initiating 'expeditions' to raise the awareness for HIV/aids in the world.

 

2001/2002   
1. aids awareness expedition - 'hand in hand against aids'
'Paris - Dakar' in favour of the Deutsche Aids-Stiftung (German aids foundation) and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), New York. 6,500 km by bicycle. First Sahara crossing by mountain bike.

 

2003    
2. aids awareness expedition - 'south africa - run & bike for help' 
2,600 km, 15 stages non-stop, each up to 50 km of running / 150 km by bicycle, together with runners from South-African townships. Press conferences and lectures in each village and each city with the aim of international education.

 

2004  
3. aids awareness expedition - 'sign'
The sign of life in the death zone. A 2.6 metre large red ribbon is brought on the Pik Pobedy (7,439 metres, Kyrgyzstan).

 

Signing of the contract as partner of the United Nations UNAIDS.

 

Honoured with the Red Awared in Berlin.

 

2005   
4. aids awareness expedition - 'pan Americana'
23,000 km by bicycle from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego in 36 days.
During the expedition 16 press conferences are organised locally. Partner: PAHO (pan american health organisation - American branch of UNAIDS), UNICEF and the German embassies along the 'pan Americana'.

 

First book 'Mit aller Kraft' (With all my energy).

 

First aids gala in Wolfsburg.

 

2006      
5. aids awareness expedition - 'child'
Joachim Franz engages in the problem of mother-to-child-transmission. The dark figure of positive births is 1 million. A good reason to send a clear message on America’s highest mountain. A huge banner with the question 'Why?' is installed on the 6,962 metres high 'Aconcagua' on December 12th, 2006.

 
Signing the contract for the construction of a children's home in Chile with German-Chilean union, German-Chilean chamber of commerce and industry, German Embassy, MACO Volkswagen, Santa Clara foundation, KBA.

 

2007    
6. aids awareness expedition - 'be your own hero'
On a 4,000 km long symbolic red ribbon, cycled in 22 days, the team 'Joachim Franz' visits 44 German towns to raise public awareness for the topic HIV/aids.

 

Award 'Best Practice Programme' at the European Congress for international politics in Bremen.

 
First prison marathon for a good cause.

 

2008    
7. aids awareness expedition - 'cape 2 cape'
From the North Cape to Cape Town, the longest and most unusual expedition in the fight against HIV/aids. 20 countries, 64 days, 21,000 km and 18 people are involved in this expedition. In each country they climb the highest mountain to fly a flag and raise awareness for the topic of estimated numbers of HIV/aids infections. This action is the starting point for worldwide participation: There are 200 countries and therefore 200 highest mountains. Since the start of this expedition 90 flags were brought to the highest mountains. Until the end of 2010 up to 180 mountains are supposed to be flagged.

 

Book 'Ab heute alles Anders!' (From now on everything changes).

 

2009    
March: Awarded 'Europaer des Jahres 2009'  (European of the year) by the magazine Readers Digest.

 

April: Awarded the 'Prix Romantik Liebold', the award for European values and virtues by the Romantik Hotels & Restaurants.

 


Godparents who accompany Joachim Franz on his way:
German Chancellor Angela Merkel
Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder
Health minister Ulla Schmidt
Prime minister of Lower Saxony Christian Wulff
Governing mayor of Berlin Klaus Wowereit
Mayor of Wolfsburg Prof. Rolf Schnellecke
Volkswagen group and shop chairman Bernd Osterloh
Executive director Deutsche Aidshilfe Dr. Luis Carlos Escobar Pinzón
Singer and composer Sir Elton John