October 30, 2025

Love of being in nature and a passion for caring for it has shaped Celina Sattelkau’s life from her earliest days. She grew up on the edge of a forest in Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Germany and always loved hiking up and down mountains and being amongst tall trees. Given her competitive spirit and drive for constant improvement, it is no wonder that Sattelkau chose to pursue a career in golf — a sport that is played in nature and combines those exact passions for the environment, competition, and growth. 

“I’ve always felt close to nature,” shared Sattelkau. “That connectedness, combined with my competitive spirit and love of challenges, drew me to golf early on.”

The former Vanderbilt University All-American golfer’s decision to become an EcoAthletes Champion is a logical extension of her kinship with the outdoors and drive to positively impact the world around her.

“After graduating from Vanderbilt and as I was starting my pro career back in Europe, I knew I wanted to use my platform to advocate for smart, meaningful environmental action,” she related. “Joining the Champions network allows me to work with other athletes — including a fantastic group of committed golfers — to drive climate action in individuals and organizations.”

Communicating powerfully about climate change has proven to be difficult for politicians, business leaders and, yes, athletes. At Vanderbilt, Sattelkau decided to take that challenge on. 

“Double-majoring in Psychology and Communication of Science, minoring in Environment and Sustainability Studies and using my final year of athletic eligibility to pursue a master’s in finance with a desire to focus on the environment gave me a strong background in climate science, justice, and action” she explained. 

Studying such a complex topic from multiple perspectives has given Sattelkau the ability to truly understand every facet of both the issue and the possible solutions: “My takeaway is that, despite the grim, sobering news when it comes to global carbon emissions trends, we can and must inspire people to see that we absolutely have the tools and technologies to solve some of our most pressing climate problems and successfully adapt to harmful climate impacts that are already baked in.”

Outside the classroom, Sattelkau strategically used her limited time to meet like-minded people, expand her knowledge about the issue and acquire skills necessary to become a climate leader. As part of SPEAR (Students Promoting Environmental Awareness and Responsibility), she was at the forefront of community engagement and education in Nashville. In the  “Map The System” competition, Sattelkau studied the city’s transportation system and offered ways to make it more equitable. And at the Vanderbilt Green-A-Thon, Sattelkau and her team won the annual competition by developing a strategy to reduce emissions related to energy on campus by placing kinetic tiles outside of the main dining hall, something that the university is now planning on implementing. 

This year, while going through the trials and tribulations that are typical for a rookie pro golfer, Sattelkau still found the time and energy to continue her climate advocacy. She offset carbon emissions related to her golf-related travel, became certified as a Sustainable Champion through the Golf Environment Organization (GEO) Foundation, and became involved with the Ladies European Tour’s (LET) sustainability initiatives.

Even with full knowledge that the climate fight is going to be long and sometimes seem hopeless, Sattelkau is committed to the long climate comeback game. And she uses her experiences with golf — a game that can engender hopelessness — to help sustain her.

“Golf requires consistent intention in both practice and during tournament play,” she noted. “You have to be strategic to improve and succeed, especially with a different course every week. And then, even with the most strategic and mentally sound approaches, there will be ups and downs. I’ve found that a true love of learning paired with a growth mindset are keys to success in golf and life. The same applies to climate work: You have to keep pushing forward despite the challenges and the losses. I plan to keep showing up to the climate action fight with a smile on my face and am convinced that I’ll have some meaningful ups. I am so glad to be joined in this fight by the EcoAthletes Champions team. Let’s get to work!”

To EcoAthletes CEO Lew Blaustein, Sattelkau’s ability to overcome obstacles on and off the course has made her an ideal Champion when it comes to driving the #ClimateComeback.

“Celina was destined to be a climate leader from a young age even if she didn’t realize it,” he asserted. “Love of nature? CHECK! Curiosity about the climate crises and opportunities to solve them? CHECK! Facing and overcoming obstacles? CHECK! Ability to communicate in ways that bring people in? CHECK! Showing up every day, no matter the odds? CHECK! We are so glad to have her as an EcoAthletes Champion so she can help us checkmate climate change!”

You can follow Celina on Instagram and LinkedIn