Molten’s brand philosophy ‘feel the emotion’ perfectly reflects Para Volleyball - every serve, block and rally, every training camp, every new athlete introduced to this fast-paced sport, every member of the community around the world supporting their teams - this all carries powerful emotions.

Juergen Schrapp was elected President of World ParaVolley - the leading global organisation dedicated to developing adaptive volleyball for people with a disability - after making his seventh and final Paralympic appearance at Paris 2024.

Now, in this exclusive interview, Molten has the privilege of exploring with Schrapp how Para Volleyball - played by over 15,000 athletes in over 80 countries - allows everyone to feel the very real emotions of joy, frustration, pride and teamwork that comes from being involved in this sport at all levels.

So, now it’s over to Juergen!

What is the true value of sport?

Improving health, building resilience, growing self confidence, creating emotions - and helping to bring people together to build communities: this is what drives me every day in my role as World ParaVolley President, as a father and in my 25-year career as procurement specialist for Bayer Global, the multinational life sciences company.

From the challenges to the emotions - what drives you?

As a seven-time Paralympian, with a bronze medal from London 2012 and several World and European medals, all the training sessions have been essential to making me feel good and proud of progressing - always learning and getting better.
During competition, it’s for sure about scoring and in the winning - this releases lots of energy and positive emotions - but there is always the risk of losing, which creates disappointment and frustration. This mix of emotions that you have to deal with means a lot to me.

What motivated you to start playing Sitting Volleyball?

As a young athlete, I played Standing Volleyball in a non-disabled sports club - at that time, I didn’t know Sitting Volleyball existed.
When I experienced Sitting Volleyball by chance, I really liked it - but then had the problem that in my home town there was no Sitting Volleyball team close by.
So I decided to finish high school and relocate to our national training centre in Leverkusen, just 20km outside of Cologne - there I focused on my dream of becoming a top level Sitting Volleyball player and making my Paralympic debut at the Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Games.

What do you consider to be the most challenging aspect of Sitting Volleyball compared to the standing version?

In Standing Volleyball, all movements happen with your legs - your arms and hands are then free to play the ball.
But, in Sitting Volleyball you first need your arms and hands to move - then you need them to play: this is much more challenging!

How did you maintain your motivation during difficult times, such as injuries or tough losses?

For me, it has always been key to define my next goals - to have a vision to work towards. The beautiful thing in sports is that there is always your next competition, where once again you have the chance to perform.

You have built a successful career as Procurement Leader at Bayer while competing as an elite athlete - you must have been incredibly busy: how did you manage to find the time for your training?

Planning and discipline are key, so is your passion - the ‘busy-ness’ is manageable. What is certain is that you need good support from your family as well as your work colleagues - to make all this come together.

Is there a particular match, or moment in your career, that remains most memorable to you?

Athens 2004 Paralympic Games - the semi-final against Bosnia Herzegovina, which we lost in five sets finishing 15:13.
For years, we had never managed to play against this team - when we finally got the chance, we lost. It took quite some time to get over that frustration, even though we played an amazing match!

How has your daily routine evolved since retiring as an athlete?

I’m spending significantly less time in the sports hall, but balancing with regular cardio and weightlifting sessions. I’m also now spending many more weekends with my family, instead of travelling with the team to training camps and competitions!

How has your experience as an athlete influenced your career?

The training and discipline needed as an athlete has helped me a lot - and I’ve been able to apply the leadership skills and team dynamics learned from sport directly in the business world.

How is World ParaVolley putting Molten’s official match balls to best use?

These balls are super important for us - we are providing the balls for development in countries just getting started with Sitting Volleyball and Beach Standing Volleyball, as well as for elite competitions like the upcoming 2026 WPV Sitting ParaVolley World Championships in China this summer.

What do you consider to be the biggest appeal of Sitting Volleyball versus Standing Volleyball?

The speed: smaller court dimensions and lower nets make the time between ball contacts shorter, so a lot of anticipation skills on what might happen next are required.
The inclusiveness: in Sitting Volleyball, people with and without disabilities can easily compete together in the same sport, which is a big asset of this discipline.

What activities is World ParaVolley prioritising to raise recognition of Sitting Volleyball?

We put a lot of focus on our media coverage - we ensure all our events are streamed in good quality - and we are building a more consistent look and feel.
Our courts will look the same in all events in the future, so we are more easily recognised.
Last but not least, we engage with our partners including Molten to help with outreach - promoting our fantastic sport to wider audiences and attracting future players.

What are the most difficult challenges you face day-to-day at World ParaVolley?

Right now it is clearly funding - we are addressing this alongside professionalising our organisation, to create a solid basis to unlock the growth opportunities our fascinating sport definitely has.

Working in a global environment with a culturally diverse team can be challenging due to differences in culture and perspectives. How do you navigate these challenges and what specific strategies do you use?

I see this as an opportunity - diversity brings different viewpoints and solutions, which enable us to create solutions for our movement. For sure, this is only possible based on the willingness to learn from each other, and respecting that solutions can be developed anywhere by working together.