Who I am

Having been born in the Netherlands, it is not surprising I love biking. Off-road, time-trials or simply road biking, it’s all fun. Having finished 5 multi-day bike races, I am now finding new challenges in shorter, more intensive races. I love the speed in an Olympic distance triathlon or a 10K run but sometimes I need the challenge of a 6+ hour MTB race. I love everything that has to do with the outdoors. Nature to me means peace and quiet time, where I can relax, enjoy the good company of my friends and get a feeling of what really counts in life.

I have a strong background in exercise and nutritional sciences. I obtained a PhD in exercise physiology from Maastricht University in 2009 and have been a researcher at Karolinska Institutet for the past few years. Conducting research on the effects of physical (in)activity has given me extensive knowledge and expertise on the effects of exercise on health and performance. Much of this research has been done on subjects with a spinal cord injury, who are unable to walk. That has made me very grateful for being able to exercise, it makes me enjoy every mile even more.

I feel that these two levels of experience in sports, both personally and professionally, have given me a unique perspective on training and racing. I have a thorough understanding of the physiological effects of training but also know from personal experience what it is like to train, race and have a life outside of sports.

Last but not least, it is the explicit aim of my blogs to share these two levels of experience with you - as an athlete looking for a coach or reader of my blog. On a professional level, I will do my best to explain the most interesting latest studies in exercise sciences, while blending this with some personal contemplations on training, science and life.