The Olympic Games are now in full swing. Maartje Damen is studying at TU Delft and is one of the athletes who narrowly missed qualification. Despite this setback, the journey has taught her a lot and strengthened her as both an athlete and a person.
Rowing and the world of rowing...
...have actually been central to me since the beginning of my studies: making time twice a day with a group of people to help each other improve is something I really find amazing. The intensity of sharing a goal, spending so many hours together on it, and then piecing it all together until it culminates in one moment. That makes friendships and connections quite special.
My journey towards the original goal of an Olympic qualification...
...helped me find confidence in myself. I made it: I was allowed to join the national team! But I actually was not yet ready for the highly independent training that the national team required. I did not make the selection for the European Championships and the World Cup.
However, I did gain confidence that I could improve and strengthen an existing team the following year. But then they won World Cup silver! So I had to dare to believe that I had what it took to train with them for the world championships.
I think this was a major highlight in the journey: finding and growing confidence in myself and then daring to train with this confidence to become a world champion. And also: learning to dare to give everything, knowing that you just might not achieve the goal. This is something I really brought with me from LAGA.
The disappointment of not qualifying for the Olympic Games...
...led me to take a step back at first. I soon realized that I really love the enormous emotional highs and lows of top sport! I trained hard independently and trusted that it would bring me something this year as well. That went extremely well: I proudly finished third at the European Championships and with an 8+ full of young talents we demonstrated how close we are to the Olympic teams . Despite good chances, unfortunately we were not allowed to show that at the OKT (Olympic Qualifying Tournament).
I am completely okay with the fact that I didn't make it to the games, but for the sport itself I do think it is a shame that there is an absence of a Dutch women 8+ in Paris.
I have learned..
...to embrace the uncertain route. Where I used to prefer to keep expectations low in order not to disappoint myself or others, I now know how beautiful it is to pursue something where the outcome is still uncertain. And that even if it doesn't work out, you will experience so much in the meantime. I think most of the lessons are hidden in the process and even though there will be no 'OLY' (title for athletes who have participated in the Olympic Games) on my Linkedin profile, I will still be able to carry all those lessons with me for the rest of my life.
My big new goal is...
...to end up somewhere where I can combine the extremes of top sport with my societal ambitions. Because I didn’t make it to Paris, I’ve been able to make significant progress with my studies and I’m likely to graduate next fall! After that, everything is truly open. Four years of training for the next games is no longer an option, so I am busy discovering what else is possible!
