At the heart of competitive sports
Sportklinik and Sportmedizin Hellersen:
The first point of contact in elite sports from the very beginning
Photo: Sportklinik Hellersen
Photo: Sportklinik Hellersen
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From the very beginning, the Sportklinik Hellersen was a place for athletes. Its history began on October 16, 1946, in House 4 of what was then the district hospital, when the first two athletes were treated there. The aim was to provide medical care for injured or ill athletes and gymnasts.
Initially, 20 beds were made available for this purpose, which were provided to the newly established Sporthilfe NRW (North Rhine-Westphalia Sports Aid) as the insurance provider for club athletes. However, this space quickly became insufficient. As a result, a dedicated hospital was established in 1970 – today's Sportklinik Hellersen.
Photo: Sportklinik Hellersen
Photo: Sportklinik Hellersen
A decisive step in the history of the Sportklinik Hellersen was the establishment of the Sports Medicine Department in 1997 under the direction of Dr. Ernst Jakob. Under his leadership, the department developed into a recognized center for competitive and recreational athletes. As early as 1998, it was awarded the status of a DOSB and LSB-NRW accredited examination center – an important basis for regular sports medicine check-ups for national and state squad athletes.
Milestone Soccer World Cup
The 2006 World Cup was a special chapter in the clinic's history. FIFA commissioned Sportmedizin Hellersen to examine all World Cup referees from around the world. Dr. Ernst Jakob recalls: “The first tests took place the year before. In 2006, we traveled with our team to Frankfurt, where the examinations were conducted in a hotel – they even set up treadmills there.”
During the World Cup, Dr. Ernst Jakob, as FIFA's doctor in charge, provided medical care for the games at Dortmund's Westfalenstadion. Supported by his team from the Sportklinik Hellersen, he ensured that players, referees, and guests received optimal care.
“Regular testing is extremely important for competitive athletes – and this insight also applies to popular sports.”
Dr. Ernst Jakob
Photo: Sportklinik Hellersen
Experience from top-level sport
Dr. Ernst Jakob himself had decades of experience in competitive sports: for over 20 years, he served as the association doctor for the German Ski Association, and later also for professional cycling teams. Between 1988 and 2006, he participated in six Winter Olympics (Calgary, Albertville, Lillehammer, Nagano, Salt Lake City, and Turin) as an Olympic doctor. “Regular check-ups are extremely important for competitive athletes – and this also applies to recreational sports,” emphasized Dr. Ernst Jakob. Although the physician is now retired, he still fondly looks back on his time at the Sportklinik Hellersen.
In 2015, he handed over the department to Dr. Ulrich Schneider, Chief of Sportmedizin. He has also been part of the team at the Sportklinik Hellersen for many years and continues the work with a high level of expertise. Under his leadership, the sports medicine department now cares for around 2,000 athletes per year.
