Our teamProfessionals with heart and mind

The Donor, who comes from a family of sailors in Berlin, grew up on the Baltic Sea. Sailing has accompanied him throughout his life and led him to many personal turning points. Professionally, he was very successful as an entrepreneur in the food manufacturing industry with company headquarters in the Rhine-Neckar region and Chicago, Illinois. Today, the donor of the TURNING POINT Foundation lives in Heidelberg and is committed to social inclusion through sailing.

„I consider it a special privilege to be a member of a community in which each person stands up for the others according to their abilities and possibilities and can thus achieve personal turning points in life. With the TURNING POINT Foundation, I would like to make this possible on a broad basis through sailing, especially for young people with disabilities or disadvantages.“

Torsten Steinhaus is a lawyer and tax consultant and has worked as a business law consultant in Frankfurt am Main since 1990. He has accompanied the founder for several decades. He is involved in a number of regional charitable projects, specialises in projects that promote youth development and education and is also a member of the supervisory board of a large education company.

„I would like to give something back to less privileged people through the charitable projects I support, especially with the TURNING POINT Foundation, based on a long and successful life as a consultant. The development of our young people in our community is particularly close to my heart.“

The Heidelberg native also grew up with water sports and, as a physiotherapist specialising in orthopaedics, sports physiotherapy, paediatrics and osteopathy, has been dealing with physical limitations from an early age. The mother of two sons ran a medical device company as managing partner from 2010 to 2023. She currently advises top female athletes as part of her company ACEIN Performance GmbH. She is trained as an ICI coach and supports the TURNING POINT team in this role. She also uses her versatile expertise for important tasks such as the scientific monitoring of TURNING POINT activities.

„I love connecting people and inspiring them to have the courage to learn NEW things. That's why I want to encourage children, young people and adults to experience, with the support of the TURNING POINT Foundation, how wonderful it feels to grow personally and thereby gain stability for themselves.“

Born in Berlin and now living in Kiel, his parents have brought him in touch with the topic inclusion already during childhood. Through his father's passion for sailing, he got into sailing at the age of 12 and a few years later by chance got a coaching job. Since then his passion for sailing has never stopped. After working at an institution for children / young adults with special needs and several years at the sailing center of the university in Kiel, he is looking forward to connecting two large parts of his life and taking over the management of the academy at the TURNING POINT Foundation from 1.11.2024.

„Sailing is a feeling of freedom and happiness that is second to none. I want everyone to share this feeling.“

Christian Bittner has been Jens Kroker's personal trainer since 2005. After more than 50 years in Berlin, the qualified sports teacher with a B-grade coaching licence was offered a favourable job in the south of Germany. He now works at the Prien-Chiemsee sailing club as an inclusive club coach and brings all his experience in inclusive sailing to the table, as he has also been a co-trainer for the German Disabled Sports Association (Deutscher Behindertensportverband e.V.) since 2005. Christian Bittner has never given up his connection to his old home: He is still a member of the Berlin-Grünau Yacht Club today.

„Thanks to my years of coaching in competitive disabled sports, I know how important it is to work at grassroots level, which is why I want to help create broader access to sailing, especially in the context of inclusion.“

Jörg Aleith has been part of the core team of the TURNING POINT Foundation since its inception. Jörg started sailing at the age of six and has since then been able to look back on a successful time as a competitive sailor. With this experience, Jörg took over the training of a children's and youth group at the sailing training center in his home town as early as the early 1980s. During this time, he successfully completed his studies at the Technical University of Magdeburg and then devoted himself to his professional career. But once sailing, always sailing, so his path led after his professional career to where his sporting activity began and where wind and water shake hands. Here Jörg got his first contacts with inclusive and Para sailing and discovered the work around inclusive sailing for himself. In addition to his passionate commitment as an inclusion trainer, he is intensively involved in foundation logistics and the TURNING POINT bus. Thanks to his forward-looking eye, there is never a shortage of spare parts and the TURNING POINT boats are always in perfect condition.

„When it comes to inclusion and parasports, the focus has been on lighthouse projects for many years to make people aware of these issues. Now it is time to spread the issue and make it accessible to many people. I would like to come to terms with this.“

Betty Pabst learnt to sail as a child in Stralsund. Today, she coaches children and young people at the Leipzig Sailing Club. She has passed on her passion: her two sons also sail in the club.

For a long time, she worked as a photographer in public relations for NGOs such as the Saxony Anti-Discrimination Office. Today she is a psychological counselor (Gestalt therapy DVG) and teaches media-specific seminars in political adult education. She is currently undergoing further training in trauma therapy and is involved in providing psychological support for civilian sea rescues. Through her various fields of activity, Betty combines psychotherapeutic, pedagogical and sailing expertise. She is currently involved in setting up an inclusive sailing centre in the Leipzig area.

„I love to see people steering a boat for the first time. It allows them to realise that they are at the helm of their own lives. Sailing builds self-confidence and strengthens our courage to tackle challenges. The experience on the water appeals to all the senses and makes us more receptive to the beauties of life.“

Janne Handermann was born in Speyer and discovered his love for sailing there. As a trained plant mechanic, he actively lends a hand. In his home club on the Otterstadt Altrhein, he is involved in youth work. In terms of sailing, Janne is broadly positioned, from class regattas to the German Sailing League to European and World Championships. Inclusive sailing is also close to Janne's heart. Since 2024, he has been actively involved in the work of the TURNING POINT Foundation.

"I am proud to be part of the team of the TURNING POINT Foundation and to bring the sport of sailing closer to the children and young people."

Axel Propp learned to sail as a 9-year-old in Rostock. He became a competitive athlete and studied sports and was a sailing coach for children and young people in Greifswald. As a water sports instructor for sailing and surfing, he gained many years of experience in the training of sailing novices. In his many years of work as a social pedagogue, water sports were a focus in the accompaniment of children and young people with increased support needs. Today he sails regattas in various boat classes and is on the water with a windsurf board.

„Sailing is a very complex sport with many challenges that include boat control, meteorology and team ability. I am happy to pass on my knowledge to people who cannot easily experience this water sport.“

As a wedding and funeral speaker and mother of three children, she has learned how important order is. Anja is happy to help TURNING POINT with the organization of accounting and office receipts. She studied German language and psychology and has already been able to get a taste of theatre in her rich professional life as she headed an artistic director's secretariat. She worked as a publishing trainee, copywriter and editor and finally found her dream job as a freelance speaker.

„For always after all the darkness, God makes the stars twinkle. He builds a footbridge over the river. Life is about travelling, no two days are the same, there is always a new path.“