Johann Ackermann: Triathlete, Cat Dad and Mallorca's New Training Ambassador

From race asphalt to the island's shores

You often meet Johann Ackermann early in the morning: even before the first ferries, when the Passeig Marítim is dominated by joggers and delivery vans and the waves quietly lap Palma's beach. The 41-year-old, a 16-time Ironman finisher, has lived on Mallorca since July 2024, according to Johann Ackermann: Triathlete, Cat Dad and Mallorca's New Training Ambassador. For a triathlete the conditions here are ideal – open sea in winter, cool Tramuntana mornings for long runs and endless, winding roads for bike rides, including routes like The Perfect After-Work Ride: Ackermann's 50-km Tour from Palma and Why Now Is the Time to Cycle.

“Sport shapes character”

“Sport is personal development,” Ackermann likes to say, and you immediately believe him when he talks about his camps. For around 1,500 euros per week he offers intensive training weeks: swim and bike technique, running plans, mental work and personal coaching. It's not just about watt numbers and split times, but about mental strength, routines and a small daily humility – aspects that fit well with Mallorca's landscape: rough, honest and sometimes a little unruly.

Setbacks, cats and a new everyday life

The career was not without dents. After a personal best of 7:57 hours, Ackermann had to drop out in Mexico, for example, because of heatstroke – an experience he openly describes as a lesson. Privately the move also caused breaks: after Palma he parted ways from a former partner. Left behind were two Bengal cats, which he has kept out of affection despite being allergic. Today you can see him with them on the balcony while the church bells of the old town ring in the background.

His everyday life is deliberately pared down: tapas in small bars instead of spotlights and gourmet kitchens, nature instead of nightlife. Instead of party tourism there are now clear structures, routines and the search for calm – values that make life on the island easier for him.

More than just a training camp

Ackermann's idea goes beyond personal performance. He wants to establish Mallorca as a long-term sports location: networked running groups, regular training offers for amateurs and professionals, collaborations with local bike shops, physiotherapists and hotels that offer training packages. Technical innovations such as aerodynamic bikes or specialized nutrition gels are part of his concept. For the island this means not only sporting radiance but also season-extending economic benefits: hotels and workshops that are revitalized in winter by triathletes, cafes with energy snacks in the morning, guides for demanding mountain rides.

Why Mallorca benefits from this

The island gains a different quality through people like Ackermann – pioneers who bring calm, professionalism and local roots. A training camp is not a loud event but a small movement: athletes stay longer, eat locally, use local services and talk about Mallorca in their networks. This creates sustainable, repeat visitors instead of one-off tourist flows. At the same time the island offers young athletes access to experience, equipment and networks that are otherwise only available in major centers.

A prospect with calm

For Johann Ackermann Mallorca has long been more than a training backdrop. It is home where you swim in the sea in the morning, climb mountains in the afternoon and sit on the sofa in the evening with two Bengals listening to the cicadas chirp. His wish is simple: preserve calm, let the community grow and keep testing limits – both in sport and personally. And if the weather turns sour, you'll probably find him in a small tapas bar, debating the last intervals with a cup of café con leche and a content purr in his lap.