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…
The past year I went back, back to the university building, the lecture hall. A lot of you question if there are any moments I feel out of place? and I get it…Let me talk you trough my experience; When I first started studying, I was the youngest in my class — so young, in…
That’s me; My older self vs. Little me, running like she had nothing to lose—and everything to prove. —untrained, but fiercely determined. Always in her soccer shoes or Allstars. Not because her parents couldn’t buy her the “right” gear. No, because she wanted to run like this. she didn’t care what she was wearing. She…
Girls in a Male-Dominated Sport: Stand Up, Believe in Yourself. Growing up, I was lucky to have parents who always encouraged me to play the sports I wanted to, no matter what others thought, no matter what sport, no matter how many sports and how much they had to travel/drive/cycle to bring me everywhere –…
Every athlete knows FOMO—the Fear of Missing Out. But not the kind people talk about when they miss a party or a night out. No, this is Sports FOMO. Missing a competition.Missing the perfect training session.Missing the chance to prove yourself—again and again. Because in sports, proving yourself never stops. There’s always someone training harder,…
….From Fear to Backflips Learning new tricks in wingfoiling—or any sport—can seem intimidating at first. A year ago, wingfoiling was still quite new to me. No tricks, just the basics I picked up from someone on the water. To be honest, I almost quit. The first few times were rough—the wind was never quite right,…
Wie de mist op het water kent — die ene ochtend dat je erop staat en niemand begrijpt waarom je niet traint — weet: de grootste storm zit soms binnenin.
2024: A Year of Challenges, Growth, and New Adventures 31 december 2023 ended just as it should—on the water. My home lake served as the perfect backdrop for a last wingfoiling session of the year in thick wetsuit, wintergloves and shoes. It is where I set ambitious goals: mastering the backflip and the 360. No…
My Rollercoaster Journey from Top Sport to RA Studies to the other way around (and the Girl Who Couldn’t Iron) Most people know me as that girl in a wetsuit, always out on the water, kitesurfing or wingfoiling, with a deep passion for the snow, wind and waves – basically anything that keeps me connected…
“We hebben je gemist op de spelen.” De Olympische Spelen zijn een droom voor velen, en voor mij was die droom heel dichtbij voor de tweede keer (ook heel bijzonder, nu ik dit zo opschrijf). Kitefoilen was mijn passie, mijn doel, en ik werkte er jarenlang keihard voor. Maar uiteindelijk stond ik daar niet, maar…
