Witteveen’s days are packed. She trains every morning and evening on weekdays, for a total of 20 hours per week. She swims, cycles, runs or goes to the gym, either alone or in a small group with a personal coach. She’s also completing an unpaid internship three days per week – the last part of her master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences. To earn money, she works at the supermarket every Sunday. “And then there are the weekend competitions. They’re the reason why I have Mondays and Fridays off from my internship. If I have to travel abroad for a race, like I did to France last weekend, I often leave early to get some rest before the race. And when I get back, I have time to unpack my suitcase and do my laundry.”
Swim, bike, run
She got involved in competitive swimming at an early age, following in the footsteps of her older sister and two brothers. But spending whole days at the swimming pool lost its appeal after a while. Her older sister introduced her to triathlon, a combination of swimming, cycling and running, in 2015. She quickly rose through the ranks of the sport, together with her identical twin sister, Tessa. An explosive athlete, Witteveen competes in sprint distance triathlons, consisting of a 750m swim, a 20km bike and a 5k run. Which of the three disciplines is her favourite? “I used to enjoy swimming the most, but this season I preferred running. The run is often where the race is decided. During the bike, you tend to stick together in a small group.”
Maastricht
In 2017, her stepfather passed away. Their house was inherited and sold by his children from a previous marriage. The twins had just finished secondary school and were deciding what to study next. Tessa wanted to become a midwife; Anna was interested in biology. The human body has always fascinated her. “I initially considered studying Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences in Leiden. But then my sister and I found a personal triathlon coach in Maastricht, which has a Biomedical Sciences programme. It was an easy choice.” Their mother bought a house, where the three of them lived with one other student.
Flip the switch
Witteveen likes how doing research gives her the freedom to let her curiosity run free. After graduating, she wants to go on to pursue a PhD, preferably in immunology – the field her internship is in. But combining a PhD with her rigorous training programme will be a challenge. “I’ve made it to the highest level of national competition, but I won’t be able to compete with the best of the best internationally. So, what’s my next goal?” If she could earn a living from competing, she’d have postponed her PhD plans for a few years. But she can’t, so she’s decided it’s time to flip the switch. She’s going to cut back on training and focus more on doing what she genuinely enjoys, without constant athletic commitments.
Uncertain
Would she like to stay in Maastricht for her PhD? Actually, she would prefer to go somewhere else. Her sister and mother have already moved out of the city, and Witteveen would like to live closer to them again. After six years, she feels she’s seen enough of UM. “I want to experience what it’s like at a different university.” She and her boyfriend – they met as colleagues at the supermarket – moved in together a year ago. He’s from Maastricht, but Witteveen jokes that he’s not a “real” Maastrichtenaar, as he is willing to relocate to another part of the country with her. She’s not one to be easily deterred, anyway. Does she see herself becoming a postdoctoral researcher after her PhD? “No, it comes with too much uncertainty”, Witteveen says. “You constantly have to apply for research funding, and you have to spend half your time teaching. I just want to do research. That’s why I’ve set my sights on the pharmaceutical industry.”
She seems confident about her career plans, but how does she feel about the future in this world plagued by climate change, armed conflicts and natural disasters? Witteveen feels optimistic enough about her own future. She admits she doesn’t really keep up with the news, “It would just make me sad.” She hopes to help make the world a better place by researching therapies for patients, for example. But you won’t find her blocking a highway to protest fossil fuel subsidies. “I just look at that and think, ‘Oh wow, how odd.’”