Orienteering… more precisely foot orienteering! This is the sport discipline that the Swiss athlete, Daniel Hubmann is one of the world’s best in. We asked him about his carrier, the beginning, the stories of the past, and of course his future in orienteering.
Golo: Daniel, please tell us about your childhood! How did you start dealing with orienteering? How old were you and who helped you to start it?
Daniel: I grew up on a farm and I was often out in the nature and in the forest already as a kid. At the age of 11 I started orienteering. The main reason was an uncle of mine who always took me to the competition and club trainings.

Golo: Were there any other sports in your life before you had that very close friendship with orienteering?
Daniel: I did some athletics and I was in the gymnastics club. But soon the main focus was on orienteering.
Golo: What gave you orienteering when you started it, and what does it give to you now?
Daniel: I think it’s more or less still the same passion. It’s about finding your own way in a terrain you have never been before, to have full control where you are and where you want to go. That’s a great feeling and gives me a lot of joy.
Golo: What do you like most in it?
Daniel: Every race has its new challenges and you never know what to expect. The variety of terrains and forest is really fascinating and you visit so many nice places in the beautiful nature all over this world.

Golo: I believe you usually run in forests, for instance, so is it difficult for you to run or walk totally freely and don’t think about orienteering, or you can manage it easily?
Daniel: Of course in my brain there is a lot about navigation. Always when I’m walking or running I try to find the shortest way and do some short cuts if possible. Just to save some meters, like a lazy guy…