Cedric Trinemeier had to be forced into his good fortune a little. His sporting path was actually mapped out in fistball, which he played at a high level as a teenager. But a friend of his brother wouldn't stop trying to convince him to give shot put a chance. Initially, the young man from Mannheim was not very euphoric about the switch to athletics, so he delayed his first attempts for a long time. His trial training was an act of defiance: "At some point I said I'd come along. But if I don't like it, leave me alone."

Over a decade later, Trinemeier is still competing and is now one of Germany's top athletes. Shot put had awakened his fascination. What looks simple is actually a highly complex process in which many sub-steps have to fit together.

Force = mass x acceleration

Shot putters are popularly known as "the big boys", but Trinemeier disagrees with this stereotype: "Shot put is very multifaceted and requires many performance factors." The formula known from physics lessons provides the answer: To throw far, shot putters must not only be strong, but also fast. They also need to be agile to execute the sequences cleanly. In the past, he trained up to twelve times a week for this. Nevertheless: "You're never really satisfied. You're always looking for the perfect shot."

Several German junior championship titles, fourth place at the German championships for men and appearances in the finals at World and European Championships - Trinemeier's sporting resume is impressive despite his 26 years. Nevertheless, he was never able to make the leap to the absolute international top. "For a long time, it seemed as if my path was mapped out as to where I would go in the international comparison in the men's category," he says.

Question of identity

Due to injuries and poor decisions, such as changing his technique too late, he lost out on the international competition. It was a tough time for the ambitious athlete, which led to an admittance: although he was still one of the top athletes in Germany, after many years in which he had subordinated everything to the sport, it wasn't quite enough to make the leap into the world elite.

"You learn a lot about yourself in times of defeat," he reflects today. "I also asked myself a question about my identity, whether I was 'just' an athlete or whether there was more to me." Trinemeier wanted to be more than just an athlete. That's why he built up a professional foothold.

Elite sports scholarship creates connection to Röchling

From 2017, he studied at the University of Mannheim. During this time, he enjoyed the support of the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region's elite sports scholarship, without which - as he says - his sporting career would not have been possible. It was through the scholarship that he first encountered Röchling: the initiator and patron of the project is Klaus Greinert, who shaped the development of the company for decades as CEO and Chairman of the Advisory Board.

It was there that Trinemeier started his career at the headquarters in Mannheim, where he felt he was in good hands from day one. "What I find particularly special is that there is a great team spirit across the divisions," he says. As an Assistant to the CFO, he keeps Executive Board member Evelyn Thome's back free. Many attributes from competitive sport also help him to perform at his best in the office: discipline, focus, resilience, and a willingness to go the extra mile.

The dream of the perfect shot lives on

In order to continue competing in shot put alongside his full-time job at Röchling and a part-time Master's degree at the Mannheim Business School, he currently has to go that extra mile more often. Trinemeier tries to train every day after work. The question quickly arises as to how he manages to juggle all of this. "Sometimes I don't know myself," he admits with a laugh. "I'm used to my days being very long." Because he has been doing several things at the same time his whole life, it feels less challenging for him.

Very good time management, a lot of consideration and prioritization ensure that he can perform at several events at the same time. While sport used to come first, he now goes all out in his job: "I am one hundred percent committed to my job. It's important to me that I'm not seen as the athlete who works on the side and can't be relied on." Due to scheduling commitments, five planned training sessions sometimes turn into three or four.

But when it comes to the shot put competition, Trinemeier's sporting ambition does come to the fore: for example at this year’s German Championships from June 28 to 30 in Braunschweig, where he is hoping for success despite the triple workload: "I definitely want to make it into the top eight to be in the final. And if the door opens even a crack, I want to be there."