Celine Lorenz at the Red Bull X-Alps

Celine Lorenz (26) is one of the world’s top paragliding athletes. She’s a two-time German champion, the first-ever female finisher of the Dolomiti Super Fly, and in 2025, she was the only woman among 33 athletes selected for the Red Bull X-Alps.

The race is the world’s toughest combination of alpine running and paragliding, taking competitors over 1,000 kilometers through five countries across the main ridge of the Alps. During her ten-day race, our CLIFF 640 RT was Celine’s base camp, bathroom, navigation center, weather station, and supply space.

Celine, how are your body and mind feeling after such a race?

Physically, I’m doing really well. I had no problems, apart from a tiny blister on my toe. Mentally, though, it was brutally tough. I had two unpleasant situations. On the second day, I had a pretty intense paragliding collapse close to a rock face, and then later there was another situation that wasn’t great. I’m still processing…

The Red Bull X-Alps is super challenging. From dawn to dusk, you’re constantly on the move on foot or in the air along a route that was even longer and more demanding this year with three via ferratas. Staying focused must be incredibly hard. What kind of distances did you cover each day?

Over the ten days, I travelled 1,034.3 kilometers in total – 256.9 km on foot and 777.4 km in the air. I had an elevation gain of about 3,000 meters per day.

How much pressure did you feel as the only female athlete at the start line?

That was definitely a big topic for the media. Yet, I think I’m the one putting the most pressure on myself. I’m very self-critical and question a lot of things. I was even questioning why I was the one who made it to the X-Alps. Of course, I worked hard for it, but I find it not easy being proud of myself.

Did you work with a mental coach?

Yes, in particular on finding the right mindset when things aren’t going well. Every thought influences your actions. If you think negatively, your actions are more likely to be negative. The spiral can go downwards, but it can also go upwards. The key is to actively control your thoughts.

What do you think about when you're flying?

Of the here and now. Nothing else. Flying offers incredible freedom because you’re so in the moment. You’re not thinking about your taxes or your shopping list.

And what is running for you?

Um, it’s not my favorite discipline. What I do like about running is that it gets me to the top so I can fly down. Plus: alpine running is a different thing than running on a flat surface, which I really don’t like.

You got a tandem flight for your 11th birthday from your Mum. Was your family involved in paragliding?

No, not at all. We had no connection to it. But I grew up on the Winklmoosalm in Bavaria, which is close to Kössen, a paragliding mecca. My mom just saw a lot of paragliders and thought I might like it.

Your mom manages the Traunsteiner Hütte, a mountain hut – do you still like Kaiserschmarrn, the one dish you probably had to cook a billion times?

I can look at it and I can cook it. But I can’t eat it.

Where is your home today?

Actually, my van. I travel so much that I gave up my apartment in Garmisch. I stored my boxes at my Mum’s hut, and I go back there to do laundry and swap gear. But most of the days I’m travelling.

You used a CLIFF 640 RT for the X-Alps. It probably wasn't just a place to grab some sleep?

No, and it wasn’t just for me either – it was everything for the whole team: headquarters, canteen, shower, weather station, navigation center, and of course, place to rest.

As a frequent traveler, what are the must-see places in Europe?

During the X-Alps, we were in Switzerland at the Julier Pass, and it was incredibly beautiful. Other than that, I spend a lot of time in France, and the area between Lake Geneva and Chamonix is amazing – or the Soča Valley in Slovenia.