SENSORY PERCEPTION

If you ask Ben Neumann which he would choose, the mountains or the sea, he finds it very difficult to answer. He grew up with the mountains but was also drawn to water as a child and, as he recounts with a grin in his voice, “hard to get out of the water.” A visual impairment, which Ben was diagnosed with at the age of six, didn't change that—in fact, it’s quite the opposite. “I lived in the world of the sighted for six years, but as a child you're perhaps a bit clueless, don't take it to heart, or don't yet realize the full extent of it. And, I always had a lot of support from my family. It was certainly much more difficult for my parents than for me. Looking back, I can say that we as a family ‘flucht nach vorn’ relatively quickly.” Flucht nach vorn means to make the most of a situation (or “take the bull by the horns”). For Ben, who was completely blind by the time he was eight, this means he and his parents simply continued to do the things they enjoyed even before his diagnosis. From climbing and skiing in the Alps to swimming and skateboarding, Ben and his family have managed to adapt these sporty activities to Ben's needs—for example, with a wireless audio device that Ben uses to receive instructions.

BEN NEUMANN has been surfing for just four years. In 2021, he earned a medal at his first ISA Para Surf World Championship in Pismo Beach (California) and a second the following year.

cause skiing continues to be an important part of Ben's life). Another year later, in 2021, he took part in the ISA World Para Surfing Championship in Pismo Beach, California, at just 15 years old and took the bronze medal as a rookie. “Winning a medal meant a lot to me. I had put in a lot of work, and it was so exciting. The World Championship is a unique event, so the ISA puts in the effort, which means, for example, using the same commentators as at the World Surf League. And, when I took part in my first World Championship in 2021, it was not at all clear in which direction it would go. That's why it was such a surprise and very cool that I was able to advance so quickly. I was incredibly happy and proud to represent Germany." In December 2022, at his second ISA participation, Ben rode into fourth place in Pismo Beach, winning the copper medal.

When Ben's parents gave him an indoor surfing lesson for his birthday at the age of 13, he discovered a new passion. Just under a year later, he stood on a wave on the Eisbach for the first time (but only after the end of the ski season, of course, be-

At this point in time, if he definitively had to choose, Ben would prefer the ocean to the mountains of his home country, because "surfing is simply my sport." It has taken on a very special meaning for him. "Surfing actually gives me a lot of freedom. For me, the most complicated part is usually getting into the water, the rocky beaches, and getting started. From the moment I'm on my board, I'm much freer. When I'm on the wave, I can just do my thing and surf and there's nothing in the way. This is when I feel the flow and become one with the ocean."

Did you know that humpback whales are our allies in the fight against climate change? They fertilize the ocean with their feces, facilitating the growth of plankton in the ocean’s uppermost layers. Whales surface to take a breath and then dive back down to feed. This cycle of movement—known as the "whale pump"—perfectly distributes their excreted nutrients throughout the water’s depth layers.

The exact impact of the whale pump on the ecosystem is currently being investigated by scientist Dr. Heidi Pearson and her team at the University of Alaska Southeast with a new study in the North Pacific. Our partner NGO WDC (Whale and Dolphin Conservation) supports this research project in finding new solutions to climate change. More information can be found at: www.whales.org