I feel… like a Limburger. I was born in Germany because my parents were living there at the time for work, but I have Dutch nationality. My father is from Brabant and my mother is from Limburg. When I was a few years old, we moved back to the Netherlands. My parents now live in Belgium, and I came to Maastricht for my studies.
Swimming, running or cycling? I do all of them as a triathlete, although I hesitate to call myself that – it sounds very official. I got into the sport by chance. I played American football, but after five years I was advised to stop. I had a misaligned cervical vertebra, and the pain was unbearable. I was 19, I was seeing a physiotherapist, and I started running more. I was already a cyclist; my father and grandfather are huge cycling fans. One thing led to another and I started doing triathlons. There are different types, but officially, a triathlon consists of a 3.8-kilometre swim, a 180-kilometre bike ride and a 42.2-kilometre run. That’s what they call a classic Ironman Triathlon. What’s so great about it? You have to work incredibly hard for it; nothing comes easy. I wasn’t used to swimming in open water, which is really difficult because of the current. You don’t just get the hang of it straight away. I like that challenge.
"As much as I enjoy triathlon, my studies come first"
My go-to chip shop order. Just chips with mayonnaise. I eat lots of vegetables and carbs to stay in shape, and I have to watch my diet, but it’s okay to indulge every once in a while.
I dream of going pro. My sport is important to me; I even have a professional coach from the triathlon world. Almost not a day goes by without training, I work a lot on my swimming technique, and I hope to get good enough to compete. I’m currently focusing on half triathlons; full ones would require even more training time, and as much as I enjoy it, my studies come first. I see my future in academia. Ideally, I would like to become a clinical neuropsychologist. I’m more of a practical person; I can’t sit at a laptop all day. When I was younger, I wanted to be a pilot in the armed forces, but I’m too tall for a fighter jet. I’m 1.84 m tall, but I was expected to reach 2 m. Luckily, an alternative was easy to find. I’m fascinated by the brain, so I just had to decide between biology and psychology. I chose the latter, and I’ve never regretted it.
My sister is my best friend. We have a good relationship. She has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), a rare connective tissue disorder. It means she has a lot of pain and little energy. In 2024, I raised money for research by doing the Ironman in Duisburg. I wanted to do something for her and other patients.
"I have a good relationship witch my parents. I’m grateful for the way they raised me and the values they taught me"
What is the hardest conversation you’ve ever had with your parents? [Thinks] Hmm. I talk to my parents a lot, but it’s never difficult. We have a good relationship. I’m grateful for the way they raised me and the values they taught me, like respect. Were they strict? Well, that’s a subjective question. How strict is strict? They have called me out on my behaviour, like all parents do with their teenagers. They wanted me to do my best and get good marks. Now that I’m more involved in my sport, we talk about that. My parents would support me in anything – except if I decided to take up smoking.
Failure is not an option. I don’t see it like that. I’m a perfectionist, yes, and that is my biggest weakness. At the same time, I believe that if you’re going to do something, you should do your best. But it’s part of life to fall flat on your face sometimes. After all, I’m only human.
Who doesn’t like you? I’m not afraid to say what I think. I’ll always be respectful, but you can’t be friends with everyone. Dutch people are quite direct; I realise that. I try to be aware of it when I talk to international fellow students. Sometimes you just have to be firm and call someone out, like if they’re not pulling their weight in a group project. But I try to be gentle about it.
"I hope to live my life to the fullest and make a difference"
My ideal partner is… I don’t have a specific type or requirements someone has to meet; I don’t think it’s right to talk in those terms. Someone is either a good match for you or not, and it’s about more than just the colour of their hair or eyes. A relationship is about live and let live, giving each other the freedom to keep doing your own things. That’s how you grow together. If you don’t get that space and you’re constantly on top of each other, you start getting on each other’s nerves. I would love to meet someone who gets my love of my sport, but if not, I can make it work. It wouldn’t be an instant deal-breaker.
What would you like God to say to you when you arrive at the pearly gates? That I lived my life to the fullest and that I made a difference, for example for people with EDS. That’s what matters. Possessions don’t mean anything up there.