What have you done to get to where you are now?
“I have spent many hours in the training court. I have also learned a lot from losing. Especially at the start of my career, losing while playing in a tournament was specifically tough. While in my hotel room, I wanted to go home. That did make me stronger.”
What did you have to do or let go of?
“As top athlete, you often have to consider your body’s health. You can’t always go to parties and you have to watch your diet. I left home at a young age (16) to be able to train more often, so during the week I lived on my own.”
What does an average day look like for you?
“I like to take my time having breakfast, so I wake up at 07:30 AM to enjoy my meal at the table before Istart training at 8:40 AM. The first training session is from 09:15 AM until 11:30 AM. This always takes place with a racket and shuttle in the badminton court. The second training session starts at the end of the afternoon and differs per day in terms of length and activities (strength training, physical training or more court training). I do often have enough time between sessions to go home for lunch or relaxation. In my spare time I enjoy online games (offline too, such as board games) with friends. During the weekends I often go out with my girlfriend.”
How do you maintain your focus?
“During matches, I have a routine between points. I always need to process the previous point, whether it is a win or a loss. Then I switch to the tactic for the next rally and continue. This works well for me, because I used to know exactly who was in the audience and where exactly they were seated, for example. Now I am much more focused on my own match and distracted less easily.”
What do your feet and ankles have to deal with?
“During my top athlete career, I have repeatedly had right ankle sprains, sometimes due to something silly (a pit in the sea) and other times during training sessions.”
Have you had any injuries?
“I certainly have. The longest injury was a hernia for which I needed an operation. I had to rehabilitate for 9 months. The ankle sprains each cost me 6 to 8 weeks rehabilitation time. Those weeks are suddenly very long when you are not allowed or able to train fully.”
Why do you wear a brace?
“Because my ankle ligaments have already been stretched by previous strains. The brace gives me that extra stability in the court which helps me worry less and enjoy jumping left and right, without fear of further ankle sprains.”
How has Covid-19 played a role in your preparation?
“Covid-19 has certainly played a role in the preparation. For a long time, there was uncertainty about the way our qualification would continue. All tournaments were constantly postponed. I had to retreat due to alleged contact with someone who was positive, which appeared to be a false positive. But I was no longer allowed to play in that tournament. Normally our tournaments are abroad many weeks each year, whereas now this was just a few times. We mainly stayed in the Netherlands for training.”
·What do you expect from the tournament?
“I have been placed as number 11 of the 16 couples that participate. It would be unrealistic to say I am going for gold. On the other hand, we have already won against 5 couples from the top 8. But never say never, as I am planning to surprise people!”
Do you think Covid-19 still plays a role during the tournament?
“Yes, absolutely. We will have to wait and see whether there will be an audience. At this moment in time, it is still unclear. Without Covid-19 however, tickets would have sold out 100%. And let’s hope that there are no positive cases during the tournament, as those would not be allowed to participate which in turn could influence the course of the tournament.”