Text: Cylia Hendriks | Photo: Susanne Ottenheym | August 10, 2026
A decade ago, you were still sitting in that boat as a beginner. You came from the world of track and field. What made you take the plunge?
'Track and field was my first love; I literally grew up with it. My mom trained on the track and would park my little brother and me in a play tent on the sidelines for as long as she was there. I was pretty good at it, but I often got injured. I was so fanatical that I’d skip summer vacations to compete in the Dutch National Championships. And when I got injured, I’d have missed that vacation for nothing. At some point, I’d had enough of that.
My little brother was already with Okeanos and said, “Shouldn’t you give this a try?” I’m 1.87 meters tall, and surrounded by all those petite track and field girls, I always felt huge. At the end of 2015, I went to an open house for Project 2020, Nico Rienks’ talent development program. There, I suddenly felt normal in terms of height and weight. I found my own kind.’
'I found my own kind'
You traded an individual sport for a boat with three or seven others. What changed as a result?
'In track and field, it’s all about your own performance: you run, you win or lose. In rowing, you still have to be very good individually, because a boat isn’t faster than the people in it. But you don’t train to be the best on your own; you train to form the fastest combination together. I sometimes call it an individual team sport: first, you become the best version of yourself on your own, and only then does that come together in a single boat. The fact that we do it together is exactly what appeals to me. Otherwise, it quickly becomes lonely.’
You started your studies at the Academy for Physical Education (ALO). Why did you switch to Human Movement Sciences at VU University Amsterdam?
'I thought: I like kids, I love sports, so I’ll go to the ALO. That was a good start, but by my third year, I knew: standing in front of a class isn’t for me. The ALO is very school-like—it’s mostly practical courses—and I became increasingly curious about the theory behind it all. I wanted to go to university, to have more independence, and to learn in my own way. Through a bridge program, I ended up in Human Movement Sciences. I immediately found myself in a great group, and I enjoyed going to class between training sessions.'
What was your week like when you combined Human Movement Sciences with rowing?
'Every Wednesday we had to train at 6:30 a.m., while my class didn’t start until 11:00 a.m. I’d be grumpy about having to get up so early. But the rest of my crew had regular jobs and had to go straight to work after practice. Rowing that early was their only option, so nobody thought it was strange. I was the only one who could go back to bed afterward, followed by a second breakfast. Sometimes I’d almost fall asleep over my bowl of oatmeal during class. A big part of my social life was that crew: eating, training, and studying together.'
Did you ever consider quitting? Quitting your studies, or rowing?
'I did experience some stress, but in the Movement Sciences program, there were always people in workout clothes in the lecture hall. The program was designed with that in mind. Teammates in other departments probably had a harder time. When the invitation from the rowing federation came to join Team Orange, I had almost finished my master’s degree. So I’d already earned my degree by the time things really got going. COVID-19 helped, too: there were hardly any races. My diploma just arrived in the mail.'
Kinesiology is all about exactly what you do with your body every day. Did that change the way you row?
'A lot of what our coaches and physiologists said made perfect sense to me: recovery, types of muscle fibers. I thought everyone knew that. Then I found out that some people had never even heard those terms before. That allowed me to ask more in-depth questions. And above all, I learned how to work in a team: all the team processes ultimately determine your performance.'
You now work at DiVitaal, where you help working people become fitter and more energetic. What do you bring to that job from your studies and your rowing experience?
“At DiVitaal, we want to launch a prevention initiative because there are so many cases of burnout. It’s still in its early stages; after the World Cup, we’ll really get started on it. In addition, I’m already giving presentations and clinics with my teammate Hermijntje Drenth, who also studied at the VU. These focus on how to work with very different personalities toward one major achievement.
Hermijntje and I look alike, as we’re both tall and blonde, but our personalities couldn’t be more different. She’s very organized; a deal is a deal. I’m more of a “we’ll see” kind of person. At first, that caused major friction; we had some pretty heated arguments. Until we realized we could turn those differences into a strength. Thanks to her structure, everything ran smoothly; thanks to my laid-back attitude, the atmosphere stayed positive. We always ask the audience, 'Who feels more like Hermijntje, and who feels more like Tinka?' It’s about half and half.’
'Hermijntje and I look alike, as we’re both tall and blonde, but our personalities couldn’t be more different'
What advice would you give to the budding elite athlete who now lives at Uilenstede and dreams of the Olympics?
'Don’t be too hard on yourself, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. And keep communicating, so the people around you know what you’re working on and what your goals are. I noticed that during my thesis advising, too. If professors aren’t aware of what’s going on, they won’t know when things aren’t going so well.'
And then, at the end of August, your first World Championships at the familiar Bosbaan.
'The last time the World Championships were held in the Netherlands, in 2014, I wasn’t even rowing yet. It’s truly a privilege to be able to compete here at home.'
