Joey Kelly - Fire for extreme sports is still there
He is a musician, entrepreneur, and member of the famous Pop- and Folk band The Kelly Family – and then there's also extreme sports, which for Joey Kelly (51) "is a valve and the perfect complement." Endurance and competition sports have been his passion for decades. He discovered this hobby by chance.
In his twenties, he participated in a triathlon only because of a bet, and he realized that he enjoyed the sport. He mentioned this at the edge of a tegut action, where he accompanied the business managers and five participants on a hike to Germany's highest mountain, the 2,962-meter-high Zugspitze.
900 Kilometers hike or 24 hours stair climb
He is familiar with the almost 3,000-meter-high peak, as he has climbed it several times. In September 2010, the musician with Irish-US American descent did not start from the Bavarian Garmisch-Partenkirchen, where the mountain is located. Instead, he began a 900-kilometer hike from Wilhelmshaven 17 days earlier and sustained himself during this time with only what nature offered along the route. An RTL camera team from "stern TV" accompanied the extreme sportsman back then.
One of many sporting challenges that Kelly faced during his career. Besides tower jumping and Stefan Raab's Wok-WM for TV entertainer Stefan Raab (57), the musician also cycled for 11 days straight from Berlin to Bagdad, covering more than 5,000 kilometers. He also appears multiple times in the Guinness Book of Records, such as for a 24-hour walk on a treadmill, underwater, or on a stair-climbing machine. He covered numerous kilometers during these challenges – and most of it for a good cause, such as the RTL charity marathon or German Sports Aid.
After over 20 years of performance sports: Joey Kelly still "has fun"
Today, the 51-year-old summarizes proudly: "I've competed in over 100 competitions as a performance athlete for over 20 years." But he's not done yet: "It's still fun. The fire is still there."
With this fire, he now also led the tegut group up to the Zugspitze summit in four days, in wind and rain. Upon reaching the summit, business manager Thomas Gutberlet was ecstatic: "It was hard, but also incredibly amazing." He is grateful that Joey joined us. It was a crazy experience." Kelly sees himself as a motivator for the group, but not entirely: "One must motivate oneself - I am not a motivational trainer, and neither does anyone need one. If you don't have your own drive and fire, then you won't have lasting success." Kelly is the best example of this.
Joey Kelly's passion for extreme sports extends beyond musical endeavors, viewing it as a "valve" and a complement to his life. This interest in sports began when he participated in a triathlon on a whim. During a business trip, he joined a hike to Germany's highest mountain, the Zugspitze, where he had previously climbed numerous times.
The musician showcased his endurance in various extreme sports challenges, such as a 17-day, 900-kilometer hike from Wilhelmshaven and a 11-day cycling trip from Berlin to Bagdad, covering over 5,000 kilometers. These feats earned him multiple entries in the Guinness Book of Records, including a 24-hour marathon on a treadmill, underwater, and on a stair-climbing machine.
Despite having participated in over 100 competitions as a performance athlete for over 20 years, Joey Kelly remains enthusiastic about sports. Recently, he led a group up the Zugspitze in challenging weather conditions, motivating his team with his unwavering spirit. His philosophy is that self-motivation and drive are crucial for lasting success, and he serves as a living testament to this belief.
