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Report nowTanja Frieden is deeply mourning the loss of Ueli Kestenholz, the snowboarder who died in an avalanche on January 11. “He was like a brother to me,” says the Olympic champion, revealing what brings her comfort and why Kestenholz’s way of life is inspiring.
The news shocked us all. Ueli Kestenholz, a snowboarder and 1998 Olympic bronze medalist, was killed in an avalanche in the Lötschental. Tanja Frieden is also mourning the loss of her longtime friend and companion. “It was a shock, and I’m still trying to come to terms with it,” says the 2006 Turin Olympic champion. “I was paralyzed for four days. It was really intense.”
Frieden withdrew from the world for days and canceled all her business appointments. She, who for years has been helping others find balance as a personal coach, had to take care of herself. To heal herself. “Grief doesn’t go away overnight, and it’s okay to feel it,” Frieden says on the Olympia talk show “Legends for Eternity,” “but you can influence how you deal with it.” She says she is now ready to talk about the tragedy and her late good friend.
Frieden and Kestenholz were almost the same age and both came from the Bernese Oberland. “We grew up together. We had similar backgrounds, live nearby, and have children the same age.” Yes, one could say, says Frieden with a gentle smile, “that he was like a brother to me. As much as you love them, they can sometimes be just as annoying.”
She knew that no matter where Kestenholz happened to be, she could count on him. “Üelu was my home in this big world. He was like part of my family.” The two would talk about all sorts of things, from business matters to deeper topics. But that wasn’t all. “We also had a great time celebrating together,” says Frieden. “I miss that now.”
On Instagram, Frieden bid farewell to Kestenholz with some poignant words. She wrote that at least one person didn’t have to suffer because he lived his life to the very end: Kestenholz himself. “That’s very comforting for him. But at the same time, it’s very, very painful for his family,” she says.
Kestenholz had always been a source of inspiration for her, says Frieden. He, who was such a joyful person, lived in the here and now. “He always asked himself: Where is the joy in life? What do I enjoy doing? That’s what he sought, and every day he did what brought him joy.” Until that fateful January 11.
15.07.2026, 18:33
