Remembering Maximilian Reinelt with a rowing centre in Togo

In 2018, Georg Muller telephoned the young German rower Maximilian Reinelt. He wanted to know if Reinelt, a rower and medical doctor, would be interested in participating in his project: to build a centre for rowing, medicine and education in Togo. Reinelt immediately agreed. But to the shock and sadness of so many, Reinelt passed away just months later.

Muller carried on and in May 2021, the ground-breaking ceremony for the Maximilian Reinelt Centre took place in Tokokome, Togo.

The idea for the project first originated back in 2009.

“I was there in 2009, at the same time when our son was in the German eight. I saw a lot of young people in Togo and they did not have the opportunity to do sports. And I thought, what can we do for them? And the first idea was, they have to row,” Muller says.

Muller is a medical doctor and the head of an organisation that sends doctors around the world to help in areas where they are needed. His ideas for the centre in Togo began to grow.

“If you see the needs of Togo, you are overwhelmed by these needs. We planned in the beginning just to have a boathouse. But then we decided there was more,” Muller says. “We decided to have three pillars. One pillar is sport, the second is education and the third is medicine. All together, they will establish health in a community.”

Muller then began to set up a team. He found Akoete Sodogas, a local doctor who was willing to support the project from on-site. Then he teamed up with the German Rowing Federation, bringing the Sport Director Mario Woldt to the site several times.

The project began to gain momentum and by 2017 they had received the support of the Togolese Minister of Sports

In 2018, Muller decided to bring Reinelt on board.

“He (Reinelt) was the best friend of our son. They had worked many years together to get into the German eight. They were roommates as well. The last time I talked to him by phone was to invite him to support us with this project. He was a doctor and also I rower, so I thought it was a good idea to ask him to join us. When we heard about his death, I asked his family if we could name the centre after him, to remember this special sportsman and doctor,” Muller explains.

Muller has continued and progress for the centre is gaining momentum. He has also found a number of clever solutions to make it possible. It will use solar energy for power and the internet will be provided by satellite. It is the only way to ensure stable internet connection for daily check-ins and telemedicine.

The first step is to build the boathouse. Muller says this will cost €38,000 – for which the non-profit is still gathering funds. After that, they will move on to the medical and education components. But for now, the impact of the rowing can already be seen.

Togolese rower Claire Akossiwa has qualified for the Olympic Games in the women’s single sculls and is set to compete in Tokyo. Muller says that rowing activities in Togo have increased. They recently sent a single, a double and a pair to the site and are working to gather more equipment.

“I hope many rowers and their supporters around the world will join us and start this ongoing project,” Muller says. “We are so happy to bring the young people of Togo into the rowing community.”

For more information, visit the website here: https://www.maximilian-reinelt-zentrum.com/fr/