20 years of badminton are enough – that was the headline in the Donau-Zeitung in the summer of 1998. Elke Cramer, then 30 years old, had decided to hang up her badminton racket. After a long maternity break, she once again became interested in playing the sporty version of badminton. The now mother of two topped her comeback in 2004 with numerous German age group titles and promotion to the 2nd Bundesliga with the TV Dillingen team. Now, in 2025, it’s finally over for one of the district’s most successful athletes: the 58-year-old’s hips are literally no longer working.
“At a summer Gaudi tournament in Nördlingen, I had to realize that there was actually only enough to eat ice cream,” says Elke Cramer, explaining her problems with her right hip: “The MRI scan revealed micro-tears, which was followed by the necessary operation.” In August 2025, the doctors at a clinic in Garmisch installed Elke Cramer’s new right hip and made it clear to her: the artificial body part is unsuitable for badminton at a competitive sports level. The finale of an outstanding sporting career is now certain.
56 second division appearances for TVD
At the end of the 1970s, Papa Hintermayr placed his little Elke in the gym with the words “Pick a sport.” Her choice of “Badminton” would prove to be excellent. The first Swabian student title was quickly followed by championships at district, Bavarian and southeast German levels. After 56 second division appearances for TVD, with which she was promoted from the district league to the 2nd Bundesliga, Elke Cramer moved to SG Schorndorf and won 44 of her 66 second division matches there.
The oller, the better: “After the comeback, back at TV Dillingen, I really got going again,” says Elke Cramer, who was almost a regular guest at the Dillingen district’s sports election. She was voted onto the podium several times by the readers of the Donau-Zeitung and Wertinger Zeitung and was honored as district athlete of the year in 1988 (then still under her maiden name) and in 2009. She also won the team championship in 1987 with TV Dillingen.
At the German Badminton Championships in 2013, Elke Cramer won her first national title: “In women’s doubles. After several second and third places, the spell was broken.” From 2014 to 2019 she won an AK singles title six times in a row and fondly remembers: “The year 2018 was very special with the triple title win in singles, doubles and mixed.” In addition to these successes, Elke Cramer particularly remembers the promotion to the second division with TV Dillingen: “I was found to be too old for the playoffs against Bad Königshofen and was not used in the Hinduell.” I
Run together with the children Lilli and Tim
It was also a nice thing for mom Elke that she was able to play in the TVD team with her children Lilli and Tim. Elke Cramer won’t have to miss the thrilling atmosphere of a badminton event completely in the future. Together with her husband Richard, she supports daughter Lilli (22), who recently won the Bavarian title in the women’s doubles, in her competitions. She is also involved in children’s training and the department management of her club. Wax shuttlecocks are also available in the small online shop sportkerzen.de, which the freelance wax artist runs. In addition, her husband “Richy” will soon be retiring: “Then I have to make sure that he doesn’t get bored,” says Elke Cramer – and laughs.
