Adelheid (Heidi) SCHÜLLER

Heidi Schüller was a physician who specialized as an anesthesiologist, and served as the senior physician at the University Hospital of Köln (Cologne) for anesthesia and intensive care. She later became a journalist, a TV spokesperson, and a freelance journalist. Schüller worked as an international expert and speaker on “welfare reforms.” She published the highly critical books Die Gesundmacher (The Health Maker, 1995), Die Alterslüge (The Age Lie, 1996), Wir Zukunftsdiebe (We Future Thieves, 1997) and Wie wir die Zukunft unserer Kinder verspielen (How We Squander Our Children’s Future, 1998). In the 1994 Federal German election campaign Schüller was considered as a non-party candidate for health minister in the “shadow cabinet of chancellor candidate Rudolf Scharping.”

Schüller became well-known as the first woman to recite the Olympic Oath at the 1972 München Olympic Opening Ceremony. She competed in multiple events, including sprints and hurdles, the long jump and pentathlon. In München she came in fifth in the long jump and was eliminated in the semifinals of the 100 hurdles. Domestically she was West German Champion in the indoor 50 m hurdles in 1970 and the 1972 100 hurdles outdoors.

Personal Bests: 100H – 13.28 (1972); LJ – 6.52i (1971).