A new “Lifelines” film tells the story of Christian Neureuther and Rosi Mittermaier’s “insane life together” and the time afterwards.
In January 2023, the former ski racer Rosi Mittermaier (1950-2023) died after a serious battle with cancer. In addition to her two children – fashion designer and artist Ameli Neureuther (born 1981) and ex-ski racer Felix Neureuther (40) – and their families, she also left behind her long-time husband, ski racer Christian Neureuther (74). Germany’s most popular sports couple was married to each other for more than 42 years and after their active career they usually appeared together – in TV expert panels, at sporting events or on television game shows.
The “Lifelines” documentary “Christian Neureuther & Rosi Mittermaier – an undying love” explores what it’s like to continue on the path alone after such a long and scandal-free time as a prominent couple. Daniela Agostini’s film will be shown on April 22nd at 10 p.m. on BR television. The occasion is Neureuther’s 75th birthday, which is coming up on April 28th.
Private photos, videos, archive material – and an exhibition
“Of course, a lot of things are depressing when you would like to have someone by your side every second,” says Christian Neureuther, visibly moved. What drives him now is “the legacy” or what he “discussed with Rosi” to continue living. “And the gratitude for an incredible life that we were able to have together, and that of course has to continue,” he adds.
The film also tells about all the “crazy” things, illustrated with personal photos and videos from her first attempts at skiing to a teenage Rosi skiing in a bikini to her life as parents and grandparents. A lot of archive material, including that of “Gold-Rosi”, as she was called after her two Olympic gold medals, is also included.
Rosi Mittermaier and Christian Neureuther were at the beginning of their world careers when they met on the ski slopes in 1966, “at a youth race in Kleinwalsertal”. She was 15 years old at the time and he was 16. He remembers the sweet story of how they met – “really true, I was struck by lightning” – in the new film. In the excerpts from a joint “Lifelines” film from 2018, both report together on their subsequent years of letter correspondence. They kept their relationship secret for a long time. This allowed them to “get closer to each other without others talking about it or knowing anything,” he explains in the joint film.
In the new film, Christian Neureuther is also accompanied as he looks at the paintings of his daughter Ameli, which were created after the death of her mother and his wife. The artist had struggled with the idea, but now she is planning an exhibition. “I promised my mom,” she says. When looking at the pictures and his daughter’s explanations, the widower tears up. “This is of course extremely emotional for me because it symbolizes exactly what Rosi wanted: that we don’t look back, but that we move on. And here something emerges in the pictures that is fascinating,” he enthuses about the life-affirming, colorful large-format ones images.
The secret of their long, happy marriage
Rosi Mittermaier and Christian Neureuther have shaped skiing, but not only that: “To this day, their names are inextricably linked with Bavaria, the mountains and the ideal image of a happy family,” says the voice from the off. Daughter Ameli describes in the 2018 film why family life was so fulfilling. “They accept each other as they are and don’t try to change. Everyone benefits from the opposite pole,” she says, the secret of this long, functioning relationship. Regarding the “opposite poles” she says: “They are so different, mom is more of a calming force, dad is very sensitive, a very emotional person.”
Christian Neureuther indirectly confirms the great difference in the new interview by describing himself as a “romantic” and situating his Rosi in “reality”. In the joint interview, he called her a “concerner” and she called him a “nudge.” But it’s not just the complementary opposites that are an important element of this great love story. In 2018, Rosi Mittermaier rated the small, everyday touches as just as important: “I think it’s very important that you like to make others happy.”
Christian Neureuther: “Rosi has left her mark”
Rosi Mittermaier, as the film summarizes, “was the center of the family. She is missing. Christian is now continuing on his path alone. Just as he agreed with Rosi,” the voiceover says. Christian Neureuther makes no secret of the fact that this isn’t easy. But: “It can’t be changed anymore. And that’s why I can’t look back. I have to accept it,” he says. There are also sad moments or moments in which he misses her “extremely,” that is clear, “but then you have to be realistic again and say: What did Rosi want? She didn’t want us to be sad, she wanted something continues”.
Today he spends a lot of time with his son Felix and his family, who live nearby. “We always ate together and now it’s just here because the children are here too,” says daughter-in-law Miriam Neureuther (33), who has three children with Felix (born 2017, 2020, 2022).
“Rosi left traces in the snow. Great. But she left the deepest traces in the heart” – the portrait, which is well worth seeing, closes with this touching sentence from widower Christian Neureuther.