In 1974, at the age of six, I started playing billards in the pub owned by my parents.
From this time on, I practiced for about 8 years - up to five hours a day.
At the age of 14, I could win my first German Championship title in the Juniors category.
In 1985, I won my first European Championship title with the National Team and one year later, I won my first individual title at the European Juniors Championships.
In 1989, the readers of the European Pocket Billiard News voted me "European Player of the Year" for the first time.
Since 1981, I could win more than 250 tournament titles, including 41 German Championship titles and 34 European Championship titles.
The most successfull years in my career were 1996,
2002 and 2006.

In 1997, I received the 'Silberne Lorbeerblatt' (the "Silver Laurel Leave"), the highest distinction for sportsmen in Germany, presented by the German President Roman Herzog, represented by the Minister of Domestic Affairs Manfred Kanther, in Bonn - Bad Godesberg.