These are your first Games. What are you expecting?
“I used to watch the Olympic Games on television with my father, but I never thought that I would ever compete there. It’s really cool. I’m very much looking forward to it.”
How are you preparing for the Games?
“In the run-up to Paris we will do some altitude training, we are training a lot together, and we are rowing in competitions so that we have a good idea of where we stand. We are now doing altitude training in the Austrian Alps.”
What you think your chances at a medal are?
“We do have a chance, but the differences between the teams are small. Up to now, we have always won a medal in all the competitions. Each competition is an independent event where you start at zero. This is also true for the Games where the conditions are different. It’s also about who can handle the conditions best.”
‘I used to watch the Olympic Games on television with my father’
You first came into contact with this sport when you were studying. What attracted you to it?
“The atmosphere! I wanted to join an association to meet new people and I already loved sports. Rowing combined the two. As soon as I dropped by Laga during the OWee, I was sold.”
When did you see that you had talent?
“I was always pretty strong and found it quite easy to go really fast on the ergometer. So that did not go unnoticed. But then I had to work very hard on my technique. I was very clumsy at first, but practice makes perfect.”
When you started rowing, not only were you a student, but you were also a top athlete. Did you miss your student life?
“No, not that much. I enjoyed the mix of a student life and rowing, and I made a lot of friends at Laga. I even enjoy partying more if I have achieved something than if I party every week.”
And what about post-Paris, both in terms of sports and studies?
“I’m not completely sure. I would like to do a master’s and I still really enjoy rowing. I’m not thinking at all about stopping.”
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