German Olympic champion in beach volleyball
«Innovative thinking, diversity, and agility in well-coordinated teams are the key to long-term success.»
Jonas Reckermann
Jonas Reckermann (born 1979), together with Julius Brink, is Germany’s most successful beach volleyball player. 10 million TV viewers watched as the four-time European and world champion, alongside his partner Julius Brink, became the first European to win gold at the Horse Guards Parade at the Olympic Games in London.
Reckermann, a native of the Münsterland region who made the Rhineland his home, began his sporting career in football and athletics. Alongside his sporting career, Jonas Reckermann completed a teaching degree (geography/sport) in Cologne and is now a qualified secondary school teacher.
Besides his work as a speaker, the Bambi and Werte Award winner is active as chairman of the “Wertestiftung,” as a moderator at various events, and as a beach volleyball expert (including for ZDF, Sky, and DAZN). At the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, he worked as an Olympic expert for ZDF. Together with his former beach partner, he also visited German top athletes on their way to Rio for the Olympic format “Gold trifft Goldhoffnung” (“Gold meets a hope for gold”).
2019 – present: Teacher and athletic trainer, Landrat-Lucas-Gymnasium
2013 – present: Speaker, moderator, coaching, sports journalist
2017 – 2019: Trainee teacher (Referendariat), Landrat-Lucas-Gymnasium
2013 – 2017: Freelancer, Sky Deutschland GmbH & Co KG
2011 – 2017: Shareholder, Actitravel Sport & Marketing GmbH
1997 – 2013: Professional beach volleyball player
1 Olympic gold medal (2012)
1 World Championship title (2009)
4 European Championship titles
2012: Olympic champion in London (with Julius Brink), first European duo to win Olympic gold in beach volleyball
2012: European champion (4th title)
2011: European champion (3rd title)
2009: World champion in Stavanger (with Julius Brink), first European team to win a World Championship title
2009: FIVB “Team of the Year” and “Best Blocker” (with Julius Brink)
2009: 4 FIVB tournament wins (including 3 consecutive Grand Slams) plus victory at the German Masters of the CEV European Championship Tour
2012: Silver Bay Leaf (Silbernes Lorbeerblatt), “Bambi” (Sport category), and “Felix Award” (Team of the Year category)
2004: European champion (2nd title)
2002: European champion (1st title)