Name: Christian Schiester
Date of birth: May 12, 1967
Home country: Austria
Sport: Extreme running
Competing since: 1989
Biggest sporting achievement/ claim to fame:
My victories in the Himalaya Stage Race 2004 in Nepal, and in the 2007 Antarctic 100km Ultra Race.

Which Suunto products are you using?
Suunto t6c, Suunto X10, Foot POD and Comfort Belt.

What's the best thing about your Suunto?
"In training I use the Suunto t6c every day. It really helps me to avoid overtraining, especially when I train at higher intensities. It is the best tool to get the most out of my training."

"I love Suunto, because I can always rely on it and it helps me to survive in all these special places all over the world. I am sure that Suunto will help me to reach my goals in the near future."

Most memorable sporting moments?
"My victory in Nepal at Himalaya Stage Race back in 2004 and finishing the Marathon des Sables in Morocco in 2003. Also, getting an autograph from Haile Gebreselassie, the best runner of the world."

Story:
"In 1989 my weight was 100.7kg and I smoked 40 cigarettes every day," says Austrian Christian Schiester. "My sport made another person out of myself: a strong Austrian man, who finds places all over the world, to fight with himself."

Since discovering extreme running Schiester has competed all over the world, from the Himalayan mountains, to the ice of Antarctica and the sand of the Sahara.

He is now regarded as one of the world's best adventure racers, having won an impressive array of super-tough events, including the Antarctic 100km Ultra Race in 2007 with a time of 19hr 58min 14sec.

"Since 2003 I have used Suunto. In my opinion they make the best sports instruments on the planet," says Schiester. "They provide accurate information in all situations under extreme conditions."

"Also very important for me is the fact that I can change the batteries quickly and easily all by myself. This is a huge advantage when you are running the whole day in extreme conditions in remote areas, like in the Sahara desert where I used the Suunto X6HR, or around the Himalayas and through the Jungle where I had the Suunto X9i, which was great help in finding your trek and not carrying a lot of weight."

The new navigational Suunto wristop computer is the X10, which has faster GPS connections and a longer lasting battery lifetime.

"The Suunto X10 gives me a lot security for potential emergencies," says Schiester.