This is the worst-case scenario - especially for a journalist. Erhard Goller is currently in the BDH rehabilitation clinic in Elzach. He has been able to say a few words for a week now. This rehabilitation clinic will be covered by his health insurance until August 14. However, further therapy is essential for Goller's continued recovery. What he needs, according to the doctors treating him, is a special therapy with which he gradually learns to fill letters with meaning again and use them correctly. This is because he has to completely relearn how to speak, read and write. This therapy in a rehabilitation clinic specializing in aphasia must be financed privately if the health insurance company does not provide further support. It should last at least four months and we have to reckon with costs of around 10,000 euros per month. Our favorite is the University Hospital Aachen, which has an aphasia ward.

To support Goller's recovery, a fundraising campaign is currently running at https://www.gofundme.com/f/worte-fur-erhard. The initiators of the campaign say: "With this fundraising campaign, we want to help Erhard finance his rehab and hope for the active support of the mountain bike community. Erhard is very motivated and is considered a model patient in his current rehab clinic."

Erhard Goller has been dedicated to mountain bike reporting since 2000. He is the only freelance journalist in the world to have traveled to almost all national and international races and reported on the racing action. His clients include various newspapers, dpa and sid, magazines, associations and professional teams. During the rare on-screen presence of mountain bikers, for example at the Olympics, he provided the commentators and journalists of various sports editorial offices with information and assessments of cross-country and marathon sport.

Despite these diverse demands, the 56-year-old reported on his blog on a voluntary basis and free of charge for readers about what was happening on and off the race course. He carried out this voluntary work just as seriously and self-critically as his full-time professional activities. Over the years, he created a publicity for the sport of mountain biking that would not exist without his passion for the sport, his commitment and his lifeblood. The empathy and restraint that Goller shows everyone is also greatly appreciated by the athletes.

Nino Schurter, 2016 Olympic champion, eight-time world champion: "Erhard Goller is a positive constant in the sport of mountain biking. Very few people know our sport so well. I really appreciate his work, and not just because of his expertise as a journalist. He was always very respectful towards us riders. He always wanted the best for us and the sport. And that's exactly what he achieved with his work."

Jolanda Neff, overall World Cup winner 2018, World Champion 2017: "There is no journalist who knows my career as well as Erhard. I've seen him at every single race for 10 years. He knows the racing scene like nobody else, treats every rider with the utmost respect and maintains this in his reporting. What he does for the sport of mountain biking is totally irreplaceable - especially in German-speaking countries. There is no one who has this insight and understanding."

Manuel Fumic, multiple German champion: "Erhard is an integral part of the mountain bike community both nationally and internationally thanks to his journalistic work, but above all because of his positive human nature, his commitment and his passion. I have known Erhard for over 20 years and for me he has become a good friend who has accompanied my career from the very beginning. He has given a lot to the sport of mountain biking, I hope that we as the MTB community can now give something back to him and help him get healthy again."

Gunn-Rita Dahle-Flesja, MTB legend: "Erhard did a great job for our sport for sure and I would say he has been the best journalist ever around, getting the good and interesting stories, asking the different questions but never stepping on anyones toes. His smiley face was always a second away and we had many good laughs together during all these years in the same business. Erhard loved the life and all life around him. He did not take a lot of space, more the quiet type, but easy and feel good talking to. I do hope some specialist can help Erhard and get his life back more or less as before. He guess he has many stories still to tell and share with other people"

Elisabeth Brandau, German champion: "Erhard has been with me my whole career and his foresight has also made him a good friend! I hope for him personally that he manages to regain his strength. Without him, our sport would not have become so well known and I hope that we can now give something back to him to support his recovery!"

https://www.gofundme.com/f/worte-fur-erhard