Erika grew up living all over Europe, but by 1989 she had moved to the UK to study. That summer, she travelled to Bonn in Germany, where she began looking for a summer job. “I went there because my mother was based in the city at the time,” she says. “The European Swimming Championships were on, so I rang up looking for a volunteer position.” She landed a coveted spot in the driving team, taking swimmers to various destinations across the city. “Someone had dropped out, and I got lucky. It was sponsored by car manufacturers, so I was excited about driving some nice cars.”
She went to the coordinators’ office to sign up, where Axel, another volunteer, took down her details. “I was studying sports science in Cologne at the time,” he says. “When I first saw Erika, we were both wearing pink jumpsuits – part of the driving uniform. She was this little redhead who seemed witty and easygoing. I immediately found her easy to talk to.”
