Man muss Fehler machen dürfen.
Para-athlete Felix Streng on self-motivation, pushing limits, and the courage to keep going
5. Dezember 2025
Felix Streng does not tell a polished success story. The Paralympic sprinter has experienced gold-medal highs this year after a bitter setback in Paris last year, where he was disqualified despite believing he had secured silver. Instead of getting stuck in that moment, he hit reset.
He talks about motivation, consistency, a culture of learning from mistakes, and how PUMA’s NITROTM spikes changed his sprinting feeling and time. A conversation on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities about why the journey can be more important than the medal.
FELIX, WHAT A YEAR! WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN NEW DELHI THIS YEAR AND, ABOVE ALL, THE PARALYMPICS 2024 IN PARIS: WHAT IS THE MOMENT THAT HAS STUCK WITH YOU THE MOST?
These two championships could not have been more different. Paris was one of the low points of my career. I crossed the finish line, celebrated my silver medal — and then came the announcement: rule violation, I had stepped on the line. Disqualified. In that moment, I was completely demotivated. But something grew out of that. I decided: I will continue, I will not let this stop me. The next World Championships were ahead, and that was where I wanted to show what I can do. Looking back, that decision is one of the moments I am most proud of — turning that story into a comeback.
The moment in India, when I won gold in the 100 and 200 meters, was special. But in hindsight, sport is much more about what happens before that: the challenges, the doubts, the persistence. The medal is just the icing on the cake — the real change happens on the way there.
These two championships could not have been more different. Paris was one of the low points of my career. I crossed the finish line, celebrated my silver medal — and then came the announcement: rule violation, I had stepped on the line. Disqualified. In that moment, I was completely demotivated. But something grew out of that. I decided: I will continue, I will not let this stop me. The next World Championships were ahead, and that was where I wanted to show what I can do. Looking back, that decision is one of the moments I am most proud of — turning that story into a comeback.
The moment in India, when I won gold in the 100 and 200 meters, was special. But in hindsight, sport is much more about what happens before that: the challenges, the doubts, the persistence. The medal is just the icing on the cake — the real change happens on the way there.
Felix celebrating his gold medal in the men's 2,000 metres at the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, India. (Photo by Kenta Harada/Getty Images)
DO YOU LEARN MORE FROM SUCCESS OR FROM FAILURE?
There is this well-known interview with Niki Lauda where he says his respect goes to the losers because he learned so much from the races he lost. That is true.
But I think the mix is crucial. If you only lose, you never get the chance to apply what you have learned. For that, you need moments of success. After my 100-meter race in Delhi, I also thought I could have done some things better. My coach said: “Felix, you won. Be proud.” And he was right. But my mindset is often: How can it be even better?
HAS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH PERFORMANCE AND YOUR BODY CHANGED OVER THE YEARS?Definitely. I have been through different training systems and learned how important consistency is. If you constantly push your limits, you overload your body and then lose time because you have to take two steps back. This year, for the first time, I managed to hold back in training, build steadily, and bring out the extra ten percent in competition.
That is why working with my coach is so important. He sees the moment when enough is enough. I don’t always recognize that myself.
There is this well-known interview with Niki Lauda where he says his respect goes to the losers because he learned so much from the races he lost. That is true.
But I think the mix is crucial. If you only lose, you never get the chance to apply what you have learned. For that, you need moments of success. After my 100-meter race in Delhi, I also thought I could have done some things better. My coach said: “Felix, you won. Be proud.” And he was right. But my mindset is often: How can it be even better?
HAS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH PERFORMANCE AND YOUR BODY CHANGED OVER THE YEARS?Definitely. I have been through different training systems and learned how important consistency is. If you constantly push your limits, you overload your body and then lose time because you have to take two steps back. This year, for the first time, I managed to hold back in training, build steadily, and bring out the extra ten percent in competition.
That is why working with my coach is so important. He sees the moment when enough is enough. I don’t always recognize that myself.
SO, SUCCESS IS ALSO THE ABILITY TO ACCEPT HELP?Absolutely. Success never happens alone. I may be the one on the track, but behind me is a team that corrects, supports, and strengthens me. In training, I hand over control to my coach — I trust him to make the right decisions. In competition, that dynamic shifts: then I need the team to trust me to take control. Everyone contributes. That is the only way it works.
PUMA HAS BEEN WITH YOU FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW. WHAT DOES THIS PARTNERSHIP MEAN TO YOU?A lot. PUMA took the step into Paralympic elite sport with me, and that connects us. At the time, this was a completely new area for the brand, and I was impressed by the openness they brought to it. Seeing today how many athletes wear PUMA and how active the brand has become in the para scene is special to me because I have witnessed that journey.
I feel extremely comfortable with PUMA. People talk to each other, they listen, and in development I feel that my feedback genuinely flows into products. That makes this partnership valuable — athletically, technically, and personally.
PUMA HAS BEEN WITH YOU FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW. WHAT DOES THIS PARTNERSHIP MEAN TO YOU?A lot. PUMA took the step into Paralympic elite sport with me, and that connects us. At the time, this was a completely new area for the brand, and I was impressed by the openness they brought to it. Seeing today how many athletes wear PUMA and how active the brand has become in the para scene is special to me because I have witnessed that journey.
I feel extremely comfortable with PUMA. People talk to each other, they listen, and in development I feel that my feedback genuinely flows into products. That makes this partnership valuable — athletically, technically, and personally.
Felix has been disqualified after winning the silver medal in the men's 2000 metres at the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games in Paris, France. (Photo by Tom Weller/VOIGT/GettyImages)
AS A PARA-ATHLETE, YOU HAVE A SPECIAL PERSPECTIVE ON TECHNOLOGY AND EQUIPMENT. HOW MUCH DOES THAT SHAPE YOUR TRAINING?Technology and equipment are not side issues in Paralympic sport; they are a symbiosis between human and technology. To perform, everything has to be adjusted so that I can run powerfully, without pain and without pressure points. It starts with the prosthesis itself, continues with the socket perfectly adapted to my body, and includes the question of how stiff or soft the blade should be. Without this, nothing works.
IS THERE A PUMA PRODUCT YOU WOULD CALL A GAME CHANGER?Yes. The spike sole we developed together was a turning point. In this form, it did not exist for prosthetics, and without it, I could not sprint at this level today. I felt the difference on the very first run — we sprinters notice even the smallest changes immediately.
The PUMA Forte NITROTM Elite spike that I’m currently wearing is also extremely well developed. It feels harmonious, fits perfectly, withstands sprint loads, and supports my movement instead of blocking it. You notice it after one or two runs — in the feeling and in the times.
IS THERE A PUMA PRODUCT YOU WOULD CALL A GAME CHANGER?Yes. The spike sole we developed together was a turning point. In this form, it did not exist for prosthetics, and without it, I could not sprint at this level today. I felt the difference on the very first run — we sprinters notice even the smallest changes immediately.
The PUMA Forte NITROTM Elite spike that I’m currently wearing is also extremely well developed. It feels harmonious, fits perfectly, withstands sprint loads, and supports my movement instead of blocking it. You notice it after one or two runs — in the feeling and in the times.
WHAT DO THESE TECHNOLOGIES ACTUALLY DO IN TERMS OF REACTIVITY, ENERGY TRANSFER, AND STABILITY?The biggest step was moving away from very stiff models. Now I have a shoe that is softer and more flexible and feels more harmonious. The carbon plate and the foam work together so that I get direct feedback when rolling and pushing off. It feels as if the shoe is part of my movement — and that is what makes the difference in the end.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE FOR INNOVATION AND INCLUSION IN SPORT TO GO HAND IN HAND?Constant exchange. We are technologically at a high level, but real progress does not happen in isolation in a lab. It happens when athletes, coaches, and developers work together, test products, give feedback, and improve things.
These last percentages that matter in elite sport only emerge when everyone sits at the same table. Products have to be tested, mistakes have to be allowed, and no one should believe they can solve everything alone. Only then does something truly new emerge.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE FOR INNOVATION AND INCLUSION IN SPORT TO GO HAND IN HAND?Constant exchange. We are technologically at a high level, but real progress does not happen in isolation in a lab. It happens when athletes, coaches, and developers work together, test products, give feedback, and improve things.
These last percentages that matter in elite sport only emerge when everyone sits at the same table. Products have to be tested, mistakes have to be allowed, and no one should believe they can solve everything alone. Only then does something truly new emerge.
IS TRAINING A PLACE WHERE MISTAKES SHOULD BE ALLOWED?Yes, and much more than people think. I have learned how easy it is to fall into the trap of wanting everything to be perfect. Perfection creates pressure, and pressure blocks you. Training is the place to try things and take wrong turns. If I fail, I would rather do it in training than in competition.
For me, training does not mean functioning perfectly — it means having the courage to try. In the end, performance does not come from avoiding mistakes, but from being able to deal with them.
For me, training does not mean functioning perfectly — it means having the courage to try. In the end, performance does not come from avoiding mistakes, but from being able to deal with them.
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