Skiing is my passion and I want to reach the top. Ever since my parents took me to the mountains I fell in love. The freedom you have with skiing is endless. 

I started skiing when I was 5 years old. My parents love to ski and wanted me to experience the thrill of skiing as well, but due to my handicap I couldn't. When we found out about sitskiing it was the perfect solution. I fell in love with the sport and only wanted to get better and faster! 

First a bit about my disability. I am born with spina bifida occulta. It’s a birth defect in which there is incomplete closing of the spine and the membranes around the spinal cord during early development in pregnancy. Difficult words, but in my case it means that my legs are paralyzed. This never stopped me from doing what I wanted to do. I’ll always look at solutions instead of problems. 

Fast forward to 2014 when I was scouted by the Dutch Skiing Federation to train with the national talent team. From here I started training weekly at an indoor ski slope we have in the southern part of the country. Shortly after seeing my skill-level, the trainers decided to bring me on my first trainings camp abroad to compete in a youth race in Sestriere Italy. This opportunity was a great experience and kept me going back to the alps year after year to practice.
 

In 2019 things started to get more serious. The Ski Federation did not have the financial capability to host trainings camps more than 3 or 4 times a year, so I decided to train with another ski team that focussed on non-disabled skiers. This gave me the opportunity to train more, but the cost to participate were now shifted onto my shoulders. 

Last season, I was away for 14 weeks to train and race, mostly in Austria. My dedication paid off and I won 2 gold medals in the Austrian national races. The times I skied qualified me for world cup races in the coming 2023 season!

The hard work and practice are beginning to pay off although the financial impact has become a big burden. That is why i am asking for your support