GIPO supports top athletes from Switzerland
GIPO AG is actively committed to sport and supports talented athletes in various disciplines. By means of sponsorship and partnerships, the company enables athletes to train in optimal conditions and participate in competitions. This commitment not only strengthens regional sport, but also underlines the values of team spirit, perseverance and achievement that GIPO embodies in its corporate culture.
We are therefore particularly pleased to be able to support various athletes from the canton of Uri and the whole of Switzerland again in 2025. We wish all athletes every continued success in the pursuit of their passion and, above all, in avoiding injury.
Fabio Püntener (cycling, MTB cross country)
Fabio grew up and lives in Silenen UR; he has been passionate about bikes since he was young. He mainly competes in MTB cross-country races in the colours of “Biketeam Solothurn”, but can also often be found on his road bike, especially during training. After a successful U23 time, with consistent top-10 results in the World Cup, he was also able to take part in the training camp for top athletes run by the Swiss military in Magglingen. The switch to the elite category then came in 2022. Since then, the amount of time he spends on sport has increased tremendously and he is now 100% focused on his sport. The first two elite years were peppered with injuries and illnesses. This time was very instructive for him and ultimately made him stronger. Then in 2024, his breakthrough came. He was able to achieve some fine podium finishes in Swiss racing series and keep up with the world’s best. At the last two World Cups, he then achieved his best World Cup results with 15th and 18th place. Thanks to these performances, he was included in the Swiss Cycling A squad for the first time in 2025.
Nicola Senn (tennis)
In the summer of 2024, Nicola successfully completed his four-year apprenticeship as a designer EFZ (Swiss federal proficiency certificate) at GIPO AG. Up to this point, he had been playing tennis in an environment where his opponents could put in twice the training effort. With the EFZ certificate in his pocket and the support of our company, Nicola can now pursue his long-standing dream of becoming a professional tennis player in a more focused manner. He works part-time and has therefore been able to increase his training sessions and take part in international tournaments. He is currently the best tennis player from Uri, having moved into the national N3 class and therefore the top-60 Swiss player rankings in April 2025. He is one of the seven best ITF tennis players in Switzerland, which means a top-500 ranking internationally (ITF is the International Tennis Federation, and ITF tournaments are necessary to collect points for the ATP professional men’s tour). His next goal is to collect ATP points by reaching the ITF main draw and winning. So far, he has managed to make it into the main draw three times. Along the way, he has already celebrated victories against ATP players (ranked around ATP 1200).
Ronnie Bratschi (car racing)
Ronnie has been on the race track since he was a child. First in motocross and for the last couple of years as a car racer, the Uri local has always aimed to extract the maximum speed from his car. By working shifts and also weekends, he saved the money for his current Mitsubishi EVO on which he works every winter to obtain the very best performance. Three years after his first race, he won the Swiss slalom title in 2013. In the years that followed he became a three-times winner of the FIA International Hill Climb Cup in Cat. 3, and took 2nd place in the Swiss Hill Climb Championships. First place in Performance Class 1 as well as Best Performer in the FIA European Hill Climb Championship followed in 2021.
Heidi Ulrich (windsurfing)
For many years, everything in the life of Flüelen-born Heidi has revolved around speed surfing. Whether in Uri or in international waters, she regularly attempts to break various world records. She holds five speed world records and is the reigning world champion. On 25 November 2022, she set a new world record in Lüderitz, Namibia, by achieving an average speed of 47.06 knots (approx. 87.16 km/h) over 500 metres. With this record, Heidi Ulrich fulfilled a great dream: she is the “world’s fastest woman on open water”, the fastest woman in all disciplines.
Arthur Gustavo da Silva (horse riding)
Arthur Gustavo da Silva is a Brazilian-Swiss dual national. He followed in the footsteps of renowned rider Markus Fuchs and took over his horses, including La Toya III and Ovation. He achieved significant victories with these horses in 2009. In 2011, he won the Maurice Lacroix GP and the Nations Cup with the Swiss team. Second place in the 2013 Ascona Grand Prix was also an outstanding moment in da Silva’s career. Another milestone was the second place in the CSIO5* Grand Prix in St. Gallen 2019 with the Belgian stallion Inonstop van’t Voorhof. His most recent successes include placings at international tournaments. In October 2024, he achieved a place in a CSI4* competition in the 150 cm class with Ags Casallida at the FEI Horse Show in Cagliari, Campo Rossi. With Goldjunge 158, he also secured a placing in a CSI4* competition in the 145 cm class in October 2024. Arthur Gustavo da Silva’s achievements have earned him a firm place on the Swiss and international equestrian scene, and he remains an active and successful participant in high-calibre competitions.
Delia Da Mocogno (cycling)
Delia Da Mocogno from Erstfeld/Uri is an all-rounder from VMC Silenen. Delia has already proven herself in road, mountain bike and downhill disciplines and celebrated competition successes (e.g. Swiss Championship title in downhill). She has now specialised in the relatively new discipline of “enduro” and is one of the world’s top elite. This discipline demands everything from the riders. It is a combination of endurance, speed and technique that reveals the most complete athletes. Delia is the reigning Swiss champion in the women’s elite category of the Swiss Enduro Series. She finished in the top 10 at the first MTB Enduro World Championships in 2024.
Thomas Epp (wrestling)
Thomas Epp is a talented Swiss wrestler from Flüelen. He discovered his passion for wrestling at the age of four and is now one of Switzerland’s most promising athletes. He is a member of the Schattdorf wrestling team and has been a member of the Swiss national squad since 2015. In his career, he has already won 16 Swiss Championship titles and made a name for himself internationally. His greatest success is 3rd place at the European Junior Championships in 2021. His ultimate goal is to take part in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Epp spends around 160 days a year abroad to work with first-class training partners and benefit from experienced coaches. Alongside his sporting career, Epp successfully completed an apprenticeship as a plumber. So he can concentrate fully on his sporting goals, he reduces his workload and regularly attends training camps abroad with the national team.
