Now she works for RTL

Monica Lierhaus knows exactly what it means to fight your way back to life. After four months in a coma, the once most popular sports presenter in Germany not only struggled back to everyday life, but also into the television stations and sports shows of the German television landscape. Lierhaus has appeared at the several times in recent years TVfor example at the ARD-TV lottery. This year, the 52-year-old will RTL after 14 years back on free TV as a reporter in front of the camera. “I’m just happy to be back,” she says.

The former “Sportschau” presenter’s struggle began in 2009 when she had to have surgery for a brain aneurysm that bulged the blood vessels in the brain. But there were complications, Lierhaus suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and was placed in an artificial coma for four months. After that, she had to laboriously relearn everyday things like eating, walking, speaking and writing and was initially forced to give up presenting various sports shows for years.

Lierhaus once also moderated the ARD “Sports Show”

The Hamburg native was a pioneer in three respects in the male-dominated sports scene. In 1999 she was the first woman to moderate the Sat 1Sports program “ran”, then commented on the Bundesliga premiere and finally became a presenter at the “Sportschau”. ARD at the peak of her career.

Even after her operation, Lierhaus made isolated appearances on television. The presenter was able to fulfill a great wish when she flew to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup and there for sky reported.

But six years later, in the run-up to her 50th birthday, she declared her career in front of the camera to be over: “At 50 it’s over in front of the camera, so I’ll have to think about something,” she said picture on sunday. On German television, presenters over the age of 50 no longer had a chance, Lierhaus justified the decision. “Birgit Schrowange and Carmen Nebel are absolute exceptions.”

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How is Monica Lierhaus’s health?

But with her current comeback, she proves the opposite to herself and German television. How is the moderator’s health, 14 years after the serious operation? “I’m doing very well. It couldn’t be better,” emphasized the 52-year-old in a conversation with the RTLColleague Laura Papendick on the sidelines of Bayer Leverkusen’s quarter-final first leg in the Europa League. When speaking, the presenter still seems a little unsure. Above all, she is happy to be back in front of the camera and in the stadium: “I really like being in stadiums. Just the atmosphere, the floodlights, the fans. Fantastic.”

Lierhaus is looking forward to two big performances this year. In June she will moderate an international match together with Florian König. It is not yet clear who the German national soccer team will play against. “I’m really looking forward to it,” says Lierhaus. For RTL she also reports on the “Special Olympics” in Berlin, the largest international sports competition for people with disabilities. “It is a nice task to bring the athletes closer to the people and to report on their achievements,” says the moderator. The Special Olympics are a “very moving topic”.