The 2022 World Games may be held in the larger metropolis of Birmingham, but Cullman has been making its own impression on the world stage by hosting and helping athletes prepare for the international competition.

The Saint Bernard Retreat Center has been hosting teams from Germany since July 2. Sandy Bockhold, one of the directors of the retreat center, said staff were immediately impressed by the Lifesaving Team’s courteous nature.

“They were very interesting and all very nice,” Bockhold said.

Visitors to the Cullman Wellness and Aquatic Center were able to gain a better understanding of the sport during the team’s practice sessions before their departure Thursday evening to attend the World Games opening ceremonies. The lack of available aquatic facilities in Birmingham led the organizers to scout out nearby locations. The indoor pool at the CWAC was one of the main features that attracted the German team to Cullman.

The German Men’s and Women’s Canoe Polo teams were also welcomed at Saint Bernard. Unaware of the town’s German heritage, the team was surprised to learn of Cullman’s Oktoberfest and attractions like the German Christmas pyramid. Team members said they appreciated the Southern hospitality.

“We haven’t been able to do much yet, but everyone we have encountered has been so nice and so friendly,” said polo team member Jonas Gauselmann on Monday morning as the team prepared to depart from Saint Bernard.

While members from the women’s team were surprised to learn that the American South was more than banjoes and overalls, team member Hannah Kunz expressed her excitement on a certain stereotype that does hold some degree of truth.

“I love your cars here. They are so big and loud and tall,” Kunz said.

While their original plans to use the CWAC fell through due to scheduling conflicts, the men’s team decided instead to make use of the “little lake” located next to Saint Bernard Abbey to the delight of staff members.

“It was really exciting to watch what they do. It has been a great experience, I just wish they could have stayed longer,” said Diane Brewer, director of the retreat center.

Germany was not the only country to benefit from Cullman’s amenities. The Hungarian Marathon Canoe Team lowered their boats into the waters of the Duck River Dam Reservoir Thursday. This gave the athletes a chance to acclimate to the much higher temperatures of the American South than are experienced in their home country. 

“It was very useful for us to train a few days in Alabama before the competitions as the weather conditions are very different from the Hungarian conditions. The weather is really hot with a high level of humidity which presents a great challenge to our athletes. With the training camp at Duck River we had the chance to get used to the weather conditions and helps our athletes to cope with the weather challenges during the competition,” a representative for Team Hungary said in an emailed response to The Times.

Both the Men’s and Women’s Canoe Polo teams are scheduled to compete on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

The Canoe Marthon event will take place on Monday and Tuesday.

Jan Malkowski, Nina Holt and Undine Lauerwald from the German Lifesaving Team all won gold in their events on Sunday.