Celebrities in Leipzig demonstrate the impact of modern care in everyday life and elite sport

Guests at OTWorld 2026 include actor, comedian and presenter Tan Çağlar, arm prosthesis expert Lara Wilkin and extreme mountaineer Hari Budha Magar, who will appear at the opening ceremony. In addition, well-known figures from the worlds of sport and public life are expected to attend, including former world-class swimmer Franziska van Almsick, handball world champion Pascal Hens, Olympic champions Laura Nolte and Deborah Levi, and foil fencer Anne Kleibrink. Para-athletes and users of modern prosthetic technology, such as Markus Rehm, as well as lipoedema activists Vanessa Reins and Caroline Sprott, will also share their perspectives on prosthetics and participation.

Three special guests at the opening of OTWorld 2026

At the opening of OTWorld on 19 May between 4.45 pm and 6.00 pm, three special guests will provide insights: the event will be hosted by actor, comedian and presenter Tan Çağlar. The wheelchair user is one of the best-known advocates for inclusion in Germany and will share his perspective on participation and social visibility.

Lara Wilkin, a speaker at the World Congress, will take to the stage; following a forearm amputation, she actively contributes her own experience to research and practice. She founded an international network for those affected and has since dedicated herself to the further development of arm prosthetics. To mark the opening, she will present a drawing created with her prosthetic hand, which illustrates her perspective on 50 years of OTWorld.

Hari Budha Magar, holder of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, demonstrates the possibilities that arise when individual determination and modern orthopaedic treatment and care come together: The mountaineer, who has undergone bilateral above-knee amputations, became the first person with this disability to climb the highest peaks on all seven continents, including Mount Everest, and completed this series in January 2026 with the ascent of Mount Vinson in Antarctica. For his climbing expeditions, Magar also uses shortened prostheses, known as ‘stubbies’, for particularly technical or icy sections.

Tan Çağlar on Instagram

Lara Wilkin on Instagram

Hari Budha Magar on Instagram

Franziska van Almsick: Elite sport, motivation and sustainable performance

Franziska van Almsick will be a guest at the Bauerfeind stand in Hall 5 (D06) on Wednesday, 20 May 2026, from 10.30 am. In conversation with Rainer Berthan, CEO of Bauerfeind AG, the former world-class swimmer will look back on her career in competitive sport and discuss the prerequisites for sustainable performance. The discussion will also cover dealing with crises, the importance of support, and the people behind sporting success. Today, through her foundation and other initiatives, she is committed to ensuring that as many children in Germany as possible learn to swim safely, and she serves on the supervisory board of Sporthilfe.

Franziska van Almsick on Instagram

Pascal Hens: Experiences from competitive sport and dealing with injuries

On Tuesday, 19 May 2026, from 2 pm, Pascal Hens will speak at the Bauerfeind stand in Exhibition Hall 5 (D06) about his journey into elite sport. The handball world champion will discuss successes and challenges, as well as how to deal with injuries. He will also talk about his experiences with medical aids and his career move into television.

Pascal Hens on Instagram

Anne Kleibrink: An Olympic perspective at the SPORLASTIC stand

German foil fencer and Olympian Anne Kleibrink is looking forward to meeting trade visitors at OTWorld on Wednesday, 20 May 2026, at the SPORLASTIC stand (Hall 3, C20/C21). During an interview at the stand party in the evening, she will provide insights into her sporting career and the importance of her SPORLASTIC medical aids to her successes. She will then give a short motivational talk and present her medals. Following the interview and talk, visitors will also have the opportunity to meet Anne Kleibrink in person at a meet-and-greet, take souvenir photos and collect autographs. Another highlight: she will be bringing her foil, so that interested guests can try out the sport for themselves and experience it first-hand.

Anne Kleibrink on Instagram

Flora Kliem: Top performance and a swift return to sport

Para-archer Flora Kliem embodies focus, top performance and perseverance. In spring 2023, Kliem’s left leg was amputated – a long-term consequence of a serious accident in 2023 in which she suffered multiple injuries. Today, thanks to a prosthesis from Ottobock, she is back on her feet. Just a few months after the operation, she qualified for the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris. She will be available for discussions on all four days of the fair at Ottobock’s stand D30 in Hall 3.

Flora Kliem on Instagram

Laura Nolte and Deborah Levi: Teamwork and precision in elite sport

Laura Nolte and Deborah Levi will offer insights into their journey to the top of the world on Thursday, 21 May 2026, from 2 pm at the Bauerfeind stand in Hall 5 (D06). The Olympic champions in the two-man bobsleigh will discuss the demands of their sport, as well as teamwork, precision and trust as key factors for success in elite sport.

Laura Nolte on Instagram

Deborah Levi on Instagram

Andreas Onea: Paralympic experience and a voice for inclusion

The former Paralympian won Paralympic bronze in 2016 as well as twelve medals at major international events. This makes him one of Austria’s most successful para-swimmers.

Onea lost his left arm in a car accident as a child. Today, as a TV presenter for ORF and a public speaker, he shapes the public debate on inclusion, diversity and social participation. During OTWorld, Onea will be hosting the Ottobock show programme in Exhibition Hall 3, Stand D20.

Andreas Onea on Instagram

Heinrich Popow: Ambassador for Para-sport

He is one of Germany’s best-known para-athletes and has won multiple Paralympic gold medals. After his career, Popow remained committed to sport, including as an ARD expert and Director of Performance Solutions at Ottobock. There, he advocates for the further development of sports prostheses and their accessibility, amongst other things. As the initiator of the Ottobock Running Clinics, Popow passes on his knowledge to people with amputations – whether as a coach or mentor.

Heinrich Popow on Instagram

Markus Rehm: World record holder and prosthetists and orthotists at the Össur stand

Markus Rehm will be at Össur’s stand C10 in Hall 1 on Wednesday and Thursday (20 and 21 May). The master prosthetist and competitive athlete combines professional expertise with his own experience as a prosthesis user. He understands the requirements for prosthetic care from both a user’s and a technician’s perspective. In competitive sport, he has worn various sports prostheses for many years and currently holds the world record in the T64 class long jump with a distance of 8.72 metres. At OTWorld, he is looking forward to professional discussions on prosthetic care in all situations.

Markus Rehm on Instagram

Vanessa Reins: Triathlon with lipoedema and compression

Vanessa Reins has lived with lipoedema in her arms and legs since her youth. It was not until 2020 that she began to fundamentally change her life: through a consistent diet and regular training. Today she successfully competes in triathlons – always wearing medical compression garments. Through her Instagram channel “Rundundsportlich”, she shares insights into her daily life with lipoedema, connects with others affected by the condition and raises awareness about the disease. She has also launched a nationwide awareness campaign in Germany. As one of 50 voices in the OTWorld anniversary campaign “50 Years – 50 Voices”, she demonstrates how compression treatment has improved her quality of life and seeks to engage with the specialist audience at OTWorld. She can be found in Hall 1 at the medi stand (D20).

Vanessa Reins on Instagram

Caroline Sprott: Visible and active with lipoedema

Caroline Sprott has been living with lipoedema since 2010, which was initially diagnosed in her legs and later also in her arms. Since then, she has been using her experience to support other sufferers and raise awareness about the condition – as a speaker, blogger and brand ambassador. Under the name “Power Sprotte”, she shares her story as well as insights into self-management and living with medical compression.

She is also active as an author: in her book “Diagnosed with lipoedema? You’re not alone!”, she offers guidance for those affected, whilst in “Emotionally free with lipoedema”, written with a co-author, she also addresses the psychological burdens of the condition.

As one of 50 voices in the OTWorld anniversary campaign “50 Years – 50 Voices”, she is sharing her experiences and will also be presenting them at the OTWorld at the medi stand (Exhibition Hall 1, D20).

Caroline Sprott on Instagram