A Look Back to Move Forward — My 2025 Reflection
Quote number one of 2025
“Sometimes growth doesn’t look like flying forward — sometimes it’s the courage to change direction.”
The year is only a month old, and somehow I already achieved the impossible.
Leaving the Netherlands in a snowstorm — on one of the very few planes still flying.
Leaving Lapland later at –40 degrees, while all flights were cancelled, from a different airport (more to the north…) on the way back. (Story for another time — lesson learned: de‑icing simply doesn’t work at –40.) – funny fact I discovered it a day before by watching tiktok.
As I sit down to write this, it’s two degrees outside. Today actually the sun popped out – after a long wet time. This morning I refused to scrape the windows. Instead, I waited until the heater slowly melted the ice away.
A small moment — but one that instantly reminded me why I once chose to escape the cold, dark Dutch winters.
Not just the snow and ice (don’t get me wrong I love the extreme winters!).
But the in‑between cold.
That endless 0–3.5 degrees where it’s never quite right. Not warm enough to surf (without freezing). Not cold enough to properly enjoy winter either.
The kind of days that feel… useless.
Like scraping ice for ten minutes (our neighbour 😉 ), while the heater melts it in seconds.
Pointless.
Or are they?
Looking Back at Last Year
When I think back to last year, my mind immediately tries to tell me a story I know too well:
I didn’t achieve that much.
I didn’t travel that much.
I didn’t do that much.
And just like that, the negative spiral begins. It almost feels like a throw‑away year.
No endless adventures.
No constant moving.
No new tricks every week.
Did I trade my free, sportive life for days in the office? For studying? For responsibility?
That thought scares me — because one thing life has taught me is this:
If something feels wrong, it usually isn’t the truth. Fear doesn’t get to decide what’s true. Life has taught me that discomfort doesn’t always mean something is wrong, growth rarely feels comfortable.
Sometimes I get so caught up in the moment – only trying to do better, more, do it all- that I forget to look around — and realize how much I actually achieved that year. Because actually I have nothing to complain about; an amazing sport, a home, a loving family, a fun job and a interesting study. All worth to live for and I love the combination and the possibilities that it gives me! Even though the year started and goes a bit different than usual in may ways.
So I did what I often do when my mind gets loud.
I opened my Instagram. My hard drive. Looked around in our house- seeing all the new toys – seeing the trophies of this year (still got no idea how I did it, but I just did).
And suddenly… I smiled 🙂
I had fun this year. I learned this year.
I lived 🙂
This is why I actually love social media. Not because it’s perfect — because mine definitely isn’t. I share the fails. The crashes. The doubts. But between all of that, you’ll always find the joy.
The ups.
The downs.
The memories that make it all worth it. A digital diary reminding me: You lived 🙂
One way or another, this year I created a hard drive full of new memories and knowledge — trips, experiences, lessons, study, work.
I pushed myself into the corporate world and discovered skills I never thought I had — finally using that part of my brain in a different way.
I might not have done as many tricks this year, or flown a kite as often. But I learned one-handed tricks, experimented with racing in wingfoiling, and even without strict training, I enjoyed the process and explored new corners of this world.
After all, that was this year’s goal: to learn and grow in both of my worlds. I`am doing it!
Not for anyone else. For myself.
Fun fact:
I have been wingfoiling right in front of the place where I’m now working for a few weeks in Amsterdam. I sailed the days before in the canals of Amsterdam – Sail Amsterdam. Normally you’re not even allowed to wingfoil there.
other days I drive to the beach town for work where I used to train every day – and now after or before work. 1+1 =2 🙂 Or other spots where work and sports come together, right at each others doorstep like Enkhuizen, Scheveningen, Andijk, or close to the home lake.
Life has a funny sense of timing. Work and sports events right at each other doorstep without knowing each other.
Not an Easy Year — But a Powerful One
It wasn’t an easy year.
It was a different year.
A year where I turned my life slightly upside down (whats new..?)— while keeping the familiar chaos alive. The chaos where I seem to thrive. The “I did it my way” – theory.
Growth Doesn’t Always Look Like Progress
I tried new things, I couldn`t do some things — and yes, I also felt FOMO watching others. (learning the: JOMO) . Sometimes you get comfortable in a routine. A really nice one, actually. But comfort can quietly turn into limitation. Breaking through that routine is uncomfortable. Confusing. Sometimes lonely.
But it’s also exactly how you move toward bigger dreams. And that doesn’t mean you leave the others behind!
Learning a New Side of Life
One sentence kept coming back to me this year:
Quote number two of 2025
“If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.”
I say this often. To myself, to others. And that was exactly the moment I knew — something had to change.
Its what triggered me a year ago to radicly decide to finish my studies and step into a corporate adventure — alongside competing and sports. (read: The Yar of Happinnes and Luck)
Some of the biggest growth this year didn’t happen on the water.
It happened in and around the office.
A completely different world for me — structured, predictable, sometimes confronting. Confusing and full of surprises.
But I learned a lot.
About responsibility. About patience. About building instead of chasing. About coaching each other. About the subject, about the world around it, met different people, created a different world. Another few. Another focus. Which co -exist next to the sports world.
And most of all:
I learned that I don’t want to follow a ready-made road. I want to create my own path. Not the standard one. Not the expected one. But one that fits me — combining sport, competition, knowledge, ambition, freedom and long‑term vision. Not for others. For myself. I went all in — not just for one year, but for the years ahead.
To gain more knowledge.
To understand the world behind.
To learn and see as much as possible.
To strengthen my foundation in every way possible.
To confirm this passion is still alive.
So the choices I make later are truly mine.
Lets get to the point; So… What Did I Actually Do in 2025?
When I stop minimizing and start looking honestly — quite a lot. Lets say it begin all the end of may again.
Spontaneous Challenges in may & august
- Alkmaar City Run 5 km — 24 minute. (Read the blog – Mini Me).
From spectator to runner in minutes. Borrowed shoes. Pure chaos. Pure fun. The kick off of my come back to sports year.
Summer
- Skated 90 km (yes — instagram saw the proof)
Air Time
- Mini flights with the paraglider above the dunes at home!
The water
On the water, the focus shifted: One-handed tricks on the lake became the way forward — reinventing old tricks, finding new lines. Winging my kitefoil… I didn’t land the promised backflip yet… but that’s okay. It will be my mental Everest for the year ahead.
The waves are on hold for now. For the moment, I’m sailing the familiar save bay of the lake — learning, refining, building control.
I’m incredibly grateful for the beautiful photos and videos captured along the way — and for the inspiration all around me. Fact: I never had so many proof of me doing a sport!
From wingfoiling beneath a rainbow in the middle of a storm, to riding with snow falling around me — moments that remind me why I love all of this water sports.
Competitions
- My comeback started at the end of May — back on the water after a long winter.
Without sponsors. With a small adjustment in focus: going all in on one-handed riding. Figuring it out along the way.
- A spontaneous decision led me to Rondje Pampus — five laps around the small island. I joined simply to see how far I would get, and unexpectedly finished in first place.
- In June, the Round Texel followed — but the wind never showed up on competition day. At least I had the time to study for the exams the week after.
- The first edition of Round of the Dam brought me back to the place where my kitefoiling journey once started. Two long-distance races in strong wind — and finishing as first woman.
- In September, everything came together at the Dutch Championships NK Wingfoil.
The last blue pennant missing in my collection — kitesurf, kitefoil, and now wingfoil.
- A road trip to the Belgium Nationals with my wing buddies followed, ending in second place (and yes… hitting a lot of fish ). story
- Then came a true last-minute adventure: the WOO Worlds.
With only a few days to prepare and just one proper wind day, I made the most of it — racing both kite and wing long distance on the same day. One hour flat out, chasing every possible kilometer. In the end, I finished second twice, and together with Team Netherlands we took first place.
- Right after, I joined the GPA — Grote Prijs van Aalsmeer for the first time. A race about consistency, strategy and endurance — completing as many laps as possible within a set time. I finished as first woman, closing my competition season stronger than I ever expected.
Looking Ahead
I went into this season expecting nothing. No pressure. No big goals. Just the intention to show up — and see what would happen. Have fun!
Along the way, I was reminded how powerful support can be.
The motivation from others. The messages. The conversations on the beach. The people who believed — sometimes more than I did myself. Thank you for that.
It made a (all the) difference. And now, looking toward next season, curiosity has taken over again.
What will it bring?
Should I dive deeper into the race wing?
Fully wing my kitefoil?
Finally master the tack?
Choose new competitions — or maybe fewer, but more meaningful ones?
I don’t have all the answers yet. But that’s exactly what excites me.
Because the best seasons don’t start with certainty —
they start with curiosity, learning, and the courage to try.
So let’s see where the wind takes me next. And maybe, along the way, we’ll inspire each other again!
Travels
Travel looked different this year: Short trips. Weekend getaways. Less far, less long — but not alone for a change. Shared with the people I love.
Different — and exactly what I needed.
From Norway and Kitzbühel, to a touch of magic in Disney.
A summer of vanlife in Denmark — where I truly found my smile back on the water (read the story of Van.
Two weeks in Egypt filled with water time, laughter and endless slides.
And the year closed — and the next one began — in Lapland.
Not about ticking destinations off a list, training. But about moments. And who you share them with.
Study & Work
This year gave me something I didn’t expect — and something I’m truly grateful for.
The opportunity to learn at work. Different, where I used to stay at the top in sports, know it all and always. I am a “nobody” in work again. Learning all the basic steps from the beginning. Something I enjoy! To develop myself beyond sport. And at the same time still be out there — on the water, chasing wind and freedom.
I discovered sides of life I hadn’t really known before.
Different rhythms. Different responsibilities. Different challenges.
It wasn’t / isn`t always easy, but it made me grow.
Along the way, I passed my first exams, finished the premaster, started the master, and completed several additional subjects. Without ever planning it, I found myself on the path toward a second master’s degree — something the old version of me would have never believed.
Growth didn’t come with fireworks. It came quietly. Step by step. But quiet growth stays.
Excited for whats next!
The FOMO
I won’t lie.
Seeing athletes train intensely.
Watching the PKA tour.
Thinking back to where it all started.
The memories.
The adventures.
The version of me that lived fully on the road.
That feeling still lives inside me.
And maybe that’s okay.
Because it means the fire is still there.
Questions I Get From You
“The difference?”
“What about WK?”
“What’s the next move?”
“Castricum?”
And the honest answer? I don’t know everything yet.
But I do know this: I was present.
I loved the physical and mental challenges;
I celebrated Christmas with family and the people I love.
I was there for promotions and work jubilees.
I made it to parties I used to miss before.
I shredded my home spot.
I learned new sports and skills I normally would never have tried.
I traveled differently — shorter trips, closer to home, shared with the people I love instead of always going alone.
I reconnected. And that matters.
Even though I still can’t properly explain to colleagues where exactly I live in my hometown…
or where the best party place is…
or where you should go for dinner…
That’s okay too. I’ve just been a little too busy living life around. And the house looked a lot like it was abandoned.. in stuff, sand, dust and more gear lying all around one mess. Well.. priorities..
Not a Throw‑Away Year After All
This year wasn’t about collecting more medals. (although I did..)
It wasn’t about constantly proving myself.
It was about building.
Building mentally.
Building professionally.
Building sportively — in a smarter, stronger way. About accepting that evolution sometimes looks slower — but goes deeper.
Yes, medals were won. Competitions were completed. Records were set. But this year, the trophies were not the point. The real reward was the growth behind the scenes: the skills I learned, the challenges I embraced, the resilience I developed, and the joy I found in the process itself.
This year reminded me that lasting progress isn’t always loud. It’s steady. It’s meaningful. And it’s entirely my own.
Why I Share This?
I’m not writing this to say “look what I did.” I’m writing this because I know how easy it is to believe you’re falling behind.
Because your life suddenly looks different than before.
Because your progress doesn’t look spectacular from the outside.
But growth isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s choosing discipline over comfort. Sometimes it’s choosing learning over ego. Sometimes it’s daring to rebuild — even when things were already good. For the better.
Proud of this year.
Proud that I did it all myself in sport. The achievements I realised. Without the support of sponsors or federations this year.
Proud of the skills I learned in a working environment completely outside my comfort zone. I found the challenge I had been missing during the years of full focus on sport. This year challenged me in new ways — mentally, professionally and personally. And the next year has only just started.
Keep going. Stay curious. Stay uncomfortable. And trust that the wind will return.
It always does.
Did it my way – ejoy the ride! And make the most our of your 2026 🙂
