Birgit Fischer is a retired German kayaker who has won the most medals in kayaking competitions. She is also the only female athlete to win a gold medal in the Olympics on two separate occasions, each 20 years apart. Fischer, who was eighteen at the time, was the youngest Olympic canoeing winner in 1980 in Moscow. She went on to win the 2004 Athens Olympics at the age of twenty-four, becoming the oldest kayaker to do so. Fischer also became a national hero in Germany as a result of her remarkable achievements. Birgit won eight gold medals and four silver medals in Olympic competition between 1980 and 2004.
What is Birgit Fischer’s net worth?
Fischer has a net worth of $2 million, according to sources. Her fortune is the result of a successful kayaking career. She is the proprietor of KanuFisc and a photographer in addition to being a former canoe racer. As a result, Birgit is living the high life in Germany. It’s all because of her dedication and hard work.
Birgit Fischer: Early Life
On February 25, 1962, Fischer was born in Brandenburg a der Havel, East Germany. The canoeing legend attended an army boarding school of athletics dubbed ASK. The training of the school helped Birgit a lot to become the champion in kayaking in the Olympics. Birgit was pulled into canoeing because paddling was the traditional sport for Fischers. Her grandparents used to cruise across the Elbe in a little boat, and they were into kayaking fields for a long time. Similarly, Birgit’s father Karl-Heinz Fischer and mother were trainers at a local canoe club in Brandenburg a der Havel.
As a result, Birgit and her three siblings used to enjoy paddling from an early age. Her older brother Frank Fischer was also a professional kayaker. Birgit began kayaking with her brother at the age of six. Moreover, Frank has nine world championship medals which include three gold medals. At first, Karl-Heinz Fischer taught Birdit about kayaking. So her father was her formal first coach. Herald Brosig was her second coach. It was Herald who made the difficult canoeing activity more fun for Birgit. And from 1978, Birgit’s starting to rule in the kayak sport.
Birgit Fischer: Age, Height & Weight
As of now, Fischer is 60 years old. She was born on February 25. Thus her zodiac sign is Pisces. Not to mention, Pisces are regarded for being inventive, kind, and understanding. Also, they are highly flexible and do not like to hang out with negative people. Furthermore, Birgit stands 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs roughly 69 kg.
Birgit Fischer: Professional Career
In the 1980 Olympics at Moscow, her first Olympics, Birgit received the gold medal in the K1 500m event. The 1980 Olympics was like a launchpad to a successful kayaker career later on for Fischer. From 1981 to 1986, Birgit won nine World Championship titles and became an unshakeable symbol in the sport. However, Fischer was unable to participate in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. East Germany was not allowed to participate in the 1984 Olympic Games.
In the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Birgit won gold in fours and silver in the pair. Similarly, she earned gold medals in pairs and four in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Although the German kayaker endured terrible defeat in the finale of single events in the 1998 Seoul Olympics, she made a tremendous recovery and won gold medals. In the Barcelona Olympics, Birgit claimed gold medals in the singles and silver in the fours.
Retirement of Birgit
In 2000, the German kayaker retired from the Olympic Games. She was happily enjoying her life as a retired athlete. Soon Fischer was surfacing on various magazine covers and television. At the same time, one film company desired to make a documentary about her life. So, for the documentary, a film crew urged her to ride a kayak. Since the retirement, it was the first time Fischer kayaked across the water.
When Birgit started paddling after a long time, she realized how much she missed this experience. Her love for canoeing reappeared once more, and she wanted to try her beloved sport for one last time. Birgit was 42 years old during that time. Similarly, the kayaker was also interested if she was fast at kayaking even after a long absence or not and wanted to challenge herself.
Athens 2004
After a three-year absence in the 2004 Olympics at Athens, Birgit turned up again to deliver her last goodbye at the games. Nine months before the 2004 Athens, Fischer was allowed to join the national kayak squad of Germany. The 42-years old kayaker won gold in the K4(four) 500-meter and K2(pair) 500-meter for Germany. Between 1999 and 2003, Hungary was leading in women’s K4 squad events. The country had won four consecutive World Championships titles, therefore competition was tough for Germany.
In the K2 team, Birgit’s partner Carolin Leonhardt was 23 years younger than her. But despite her long absence, Birgit was optimistic as ever. The K4 squad of Germany qualified for the final event and eventually beat their strong competition from Hungary. The Hungary team took the lead in the finale, and the German team was last in the race. However, Fischer and her squad members soon caught up with Hungarians. At the 250-meter point, Germans were lagging by only 0.3 seconds behind Hungarians.
In the end, Fischer’s squad came first by a 0.2-second margin and won a gold medal. In this fashion, she earned her eighth Olympic gold medal. The next day, a 42-year old kayaker earned another silver Olympic medal in the K2 event.
Life After 2004 Athens
The Athens 2004 was Fischer’s last Olympic Games, and she formally retired from the sport. Then former kayaker developed a job as a photographer. She was even a member of the Art of the Olympians.
Owner of KanuFisch
Later, Birgit founded her own firm entitled KanuFisch, which advocates canoe/kayak as an active lifestyle. The company is delivering canoe basic and advanced training all around Germany. It is for beginners who wish to learn paddling for enjoyment and exercise. Also, it is for professionals who seek to develop their talents. Likewise, Birgit Fischer herself delivers motivational lectures on Olympic achievement, time management, teamwork, coordination, and so on.
Awards and Achievements
Fischer has a series of victories written under her name. She dominated in women kayaking during the 80s and early 90s.
The German native won World Championship titles continuously for three years (1981, 1982, 1983).
In 2004, Fischer was voted for the German Sportswoman of the year.
Likewise, in 2008, she was inducted into the German Sports Hall of Fame.
Birgit was also a sports coach for the National People’s Army. In 1990 during German unification time, she was upgraded to major.
In 1992, she stood for the Free Democratic Party(FDP) as a candidate in the European Parliament elections. Sadly, she didn’t win.
From 1978 to 2005, Birgit won 38 medals, including 28 golds in the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships.
Birgit Fischer: Personal Life
The kayaker celebrity was married to Jorg Schmidt from 1984 till 1993. Later, the pair parted ways because of some unexplained reason.. ldc8ei7urf6 Jorg Schmidt is a former East German sprint canoer. He was involved in the sport during the 80s. Moreover, Schmidt won a silver medal at the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics. He received a silver medal for his participation in the C1 1000m event. The previous marriage is blessed with two children. Currently, Birgit is staying with her kids in Brandenburg.
Social Media Presence
The old former canoe racer is not active on social media networks. The reason behind her absence from social media can be her introverted personality. But the kayaker legend has already earned a large name for herself with her excellent career. So she does not need any social media to make her famous. Currently, she lives a calm and private life with her daughter in Germany.
Quick Facts
But before getting into the details, let’s look at some quick facts.
| Full Name | Birgit Fischer |
| Birth Date | February 25, 1962 |
| Birth Place | Brandenburg, Germany |
| Age | 60 |
| Nickname | Supermum |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Nationality | German |
| Education | Army Sports Club Boarding School |
| Horoscope | Scorpio |
| Father’s Name | Karl Heinz Fischer |
| Mother’s Name | Unknown |
| Siblings | Three |
| Height | 5 feet 8 inches |
| Weight | 69 kg |
| Build | Athletic |
| Shoe Size | Unknown |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Profession | Former Professional Kayaker, Photographer |
| Active Years | 1980-2004 |
| Medals | 8 Gold and 4 Silver |
| Awards & Achievements |
|
| Marital Status | Divorce |
| Spouse | Jorg Schmidt (1984-1993) |
| Children | Ulla Fischer, Ole Fischer |
| Olympic Games | 6 |
| Trivia | Oldest Olympic Canoeing Champion |
| Hobbies | Photography |
| Net Worth | $2 Million |
| Residence | Germany |
| Social Media | None |
| Merch | Naturehike Waterproof Duffel Bag |
| Last Update | March, 2022 |
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