Triathlete Nathalie B.: From the kidnapping victim to a strong fighter

Triathlete Nathalie B.: From the kidnapping victim to a strong fighter

NATHALIE B., now known as Nathalie Schöffmann, is a remarkable Austrian triathlete who on May 30, 2025 by broadcasting the TV film "Without any trace-the case of Nathalie B." back to the center of the public. Nathalie, born in Wiener Neustadt in 1992, has achieved impressive success in triathlon over the course of her career. These include second place at Ausee Triathlon 2014 and third place at the Linz Triathlon 2015 and a ninth place at the Austrian Road Cycling Championships 2018. But her life was overshadowed by a tragic incident on July 23, 2019 when it was kidnapped during a training trip near Graz. At that time she was just three months after her child was born.

like nau.ch, Nathalie was deliberately approached by a driver and forced to go to a remote house with him where she was held and abused for several hours. Due to her mental strength that she attributes to the triathlon, she managed to persuade her tormentor to leave her free. Her husband Martin and friends organized their own search, as the police were initially reluctant and only accepted a missing person notice after 48 hours. After seven hours, Nathalie could be freed. The perpetrator, Christoph K., was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2020, followed by security custody.

The film and its meaning

The ARD television film, which is based on this true story, describes the events unadulterated and shows both the terrible details of their kidnapping and Nathalie's remarkable reaction in this hopeless situation. According to merkur.de, Nathalie tried to build up a relationship with her kidnapper during her kidnapping by She talked to him about orchid breeding and persuaded him to manipulate the story so that a deer had crossed her bike. The police were able to arrest him relatively quickly thanks to the data from Nathalie's bicycle computer.

For Nathalie, participation in the film adaptation was an opportunity to complete their experiences. In an interview, she said that this was helpful for her to process her past. She emphasizes that she no longer has panic attacks today, but feels a queasy feeling when she is overtaken by a red panel van.

commitment to victims of violence

Nathalie Schöffmann actively campaigns for victims of violence and uses their experience to encourage other women. Her case is representative of many women who have become victims of violence, and she has campaigned to raise awareness of this social problem. Similarly, the triathlon union has developed a protective concept to counteract sexual violence in sport and offers recommendations for action for trainers and athletes, which underlines the advanced role of sport in the fight against violence, as on the side of the [German Olympic Sportbund] (https://www.dosb.de/aktuelles/news/detail/schutz concept-der-triathlon-union) is documented.

The story of Nathalie Schöffmann is not only a narrative about overcoming and strength, but also an important sign against violence in women and for more protection in sport.