Mülheim/Bottrop in February 2024

Hello dear trikers and friends of the Kinderfahrt Essen,

the time has come to inform you that I am passing on the Essen children's ride to other hands after the ride on 01.09.2024!

The reason for this is that I was diagnosed with heart disease last summer (30% cardiac output and constant heart fibrillation)! I thought long and hard about whether I should continue with the children's ride or pass it on to someone else. I came to the decision that it would be better to look for a successor!

I was very happy to take over the children's ride and run it responsibly. However, due to the circumstances mentioned, I would like to take things a little easier in the future. But that also means that I will continue to take part in the children's ride as a triker!

But now I would like to tell you who will be organizing the Essen 2024 children's ride with me and will then become my successor.

It is Markus Gärtner, also known to some as Pummelfee. 

After careful consideration, I approached Markus and asked him if he could imagine taking over the Essen children's trip. As he told me, I caused him a sleepless night with this question. But he then told me that he would do it and now Markus has his say:

Markus Gärtner aka Pummelfee

My name is Markus Gärtner, born in Bottrop in 1981, and I work for MEDION.

The trike madness started quite early for me. At the age of 12 on Lanzarote, my father rented a trike, which I was then allowed to ride on and then drive myself. I will never forget that. We rented a trike two years in a row during our summer vacation on Lanzarote. Then in 1995 we bought a BOOM Family Trike. 

I went to lots of trike meetings with my father. When I turned 18 and finally had a driver's license, I was allowed to ride my father's trike from time to time. 

My father passed away in 2017 and I followed in his footsteps. At first I only rode tours. In 2022, I realized that I could also do something good and joined rides for senior citizens. In mid-2022, the engine on Emma (my father's trike) broke down. After several operations, I unfortunately had to say the engine was dead!

Then came Molly, my new BOOM Family Trike, with whom I took part in many events in 2022 and 2023, including the children's ride in Essen.

However, at that time I would never have thought that I would take over the children's ride in Essen. 

I look forward to further support from the trikers and helpers.

Your Markus Gärtner (Pummelfee) and Udo (windudo)