Irene Epple

Irene Epple Waigel (born 18 June 1957 in the Allgäu Seeg as Irene Epple ) is a former German ski racer. Her younger sister Mary was also in the Ski World Cup successfully.

Biography

Her first big success was the second place at the World Ski Championships in the downhill in 1978 in Garmisch -Partenkirchen. She won in Lake Placid 1980 Olympic silver medal in the Giant Slalom Ski World Cup winner in 1982 and was in the Giant Slalom and in the combination. Epple won 1973-1981 six German championships, three each in downhill and giant slalom. It was in 1980, as two years before, her sister Mary elected to the German Sportswoman of the Year. During her active career as a ski racer, she suffered a torn ligament in the knee, which remained for six years, untreated and led to osteoarthritis in the knee.

After the end of her career Epple began to study medicine at the Ludwig- Maximilians- University of Munich. In 1992, she was " The effects of different absorbable carbohydrates on carbohydrate and fat metabolism of obese and normal weight subjects " doctorate with the work. In November 1994, the orthopedic doctor married the former Federal Finance Minister Theodor Waigel. She has a son with him. In 2004, she was " high performance athletes Plus " award in the category of Bavarian sports award.

Epple committed to the Foundation Board of Trustees of Tabaluga Children's Foundation and as part of the Christmas Package Gift from the Heart campaign ( initiated by the non-governmental organization humedica eV ) for children in need. Since 2002 ( re-elected 2008) it is for the CSU district councilor in the council of the county Ostallgaeu.

The patronage of the first Alpine Ski World of the Deaf in Nesselwang im Allgäu from February 23 to March 2, 2013 took over Epple together with her husband.

World Cup wins

Awards

On Thursday, March 24th, 2011 at 11.00 clock she got from Prime Minister Horst Seehofer handed the Order of Merit of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in the domed hall of the Bavarian State Chancellery.