German rower Franz Gravenhorst, a doctorate student at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ), was presented with the second annual Parmigiani Spirit Award at a ceremony with representatives from FISA, the World Rowing Federation and Parmigiani Fleurier in Zurich on December 4, 2014. The Parmigiani Spirit Award was open to university rowers worldwide who demonstrated the core values of rowing in his/her social, academic and sporting life and, through those values, also enabled or inspired exceptional success in other people’s lives – for example in education, business, sports or charity.

Mr Gravenhorst will soon defend his dual doctorate thesis on the use of electrical sensors both to improve rowing technique and applied to improve health care for individuals suffering from mental disorders. Besides his academic projects, he has also dedicated his time to coaching, organising and promoting the university rowing programme which has allowed hundreds of university students to participate in the sport. Inspired by the inclusiveness of the rowing community that he has found worldwide, Mr Gravenhorst is keen to open this community to as many people as possible. He is also a four-time European Universities Rowing Champion.



A Parmigiani Fleurier “Tondo 1950” watch by Parmigiani CEO Jean-Marc Jacot has been presented to Mr Gravenhorst at the Widder Hotel in Zurich, Switzerland. Gravenhorst’s university rowing club will also receive a custom-built top-of-the-range Filippi racing eight built in Italy.

Present at the Award presentation were FISA President, Olympic gold medallist Jean-Christophe Rolland, and Olympian and World Champion Lenka Wech, who formed the Award judging panel along with Jean-Marc Jacot and Mahe Drysdale, Olympic and World Champion single sculler. Members of Gravenhorst’s family and representatives of the Swiss Rowing Federation, the Swiss University Sports Federation (SHSV), Zurich University Sports Federation and ETH Zurich were also present for the ceremony.



“We decided to create this award to celebrate a rower who has achieved something very special in his or her life. This award is very important to thank these young people who have worked so hard. Franz is a person who gives so much to the sport and at the same time is achieving so much for society and the health of society. He is a worthy winner of the second Parmigiani Spirit Award,” said Mr Jacot.

“Usually if I do something, I try to make it not about me. My first thought with this award is how it will be beneficial for the others, my whole team will benefit from it,” said Mr Gravenhorst. “I am not used to receiving awards, but it is a great honour for me.”