Eighteen-year-old Austrian talent Katharina Engelhardt has officially ended her cross-country skiing career. She collapsed during a training session and suffered cardiac arrest.

After an intensive acute phase, the ÖSV (Austrian Ski Association) athlete is now focusing on recovery, school, and a new understanding of success. In an exclusive talk with ProXCskiing.com, she shares what her new daily life looks like, what keeps her grounded, and the message she wants to pass on to young athletes.

Emergency day and decision afterwards

During a training session on Monday, June 29, the 18-year-old collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrest. Thanks to an excellent chain of rescue actions and telephone guidance from the Red Cross, she was successfully resuscitated for over 40 minutes and then taken to the hospital in Linz.

There, she suffered a second cardiac arrest, and doctors placed her in a coma for four days.

“Even the very good doctors in Linz thought I wouldn’t make it,” the 18-year-old told and added: “But they were wrong, because I did make it.”

Medical examinations determined that the cause was myocarditis following an infection. After stabilizing and spending time in intensive care, it became clear to her that a return to elite sport would no longer be responsible.

“When I started to feel better and could think clearly again, I realized I would no longer line up as a professional athlete,” she says in the interview with Proxcskiing.com.

Current health and daily life

“Right now I’m doing well, although I still get tired a bit more quickly,” Engelhardt reports.

Her day is deliberately structured calmly: in the mornings watching movies, reading, or spending time on her phone; in the afternoons visits from friends or time with family. She can manage many everyday tasks independently again.

Caution remains when lifting heavy things and climbing stairs too quickly: “Otherwise my heart rate rises too fast,” she explains.

Rehab and next steps

She will spend about three more weeks at her home in Ramsau am Dachstein, followed by a three-week rehabilitation program.

Medically, she feels well protected: “Of course you can never know if something like this could happen again, but my heart is as it was before, and I have a defibrillator — that makes me very relaxed.”

Mental processing

She has no memory of the day of the emergency itself — “thank God,” as she says.

Mentally, however, the processing remains challenging: “At first I couldn’t grasp that it had happened twice. Even now it’s hard to believe that I really survived.”

Her greatest support has been her family: “They were with me often and helped me a lot to accept my new life as it is now.”

Warning signs and lessons

A week before the incident, Engelhardt had a “completely normal” cold. By Saturday she felt almost fully recovered and resumed training. She did not feel any specific symptoms that might have signaled what was coming.

A new understanding of success

At the moment, success for Engelhardt is measured in small steps: “The things you’re simply allowed to do again.”

Looking ahead, that definition will evolve: “In a year it will certainly look different. But the definition of success will definitely not be the same as it was in elite sport.”

Looking beyond elite sport

Her next goal is to finish school and complete her Matura (A-levels) in about two years. “What comes after that will take shape.”

Sending a clear Message

Asked what she wants to pass on to those around her and to her teammates, she has a clear message:

“First of all, I hope something like this never happens again. Above all, athletes should be careful if they don’t feel well and shouldn’t let a coach pressure them to start training again. After a more serious infection — even if it’s rare — it’s better to see a doctor.”

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