Aafke's passion for triathlon ignited when she attended the triathlon in nearby Holten. She was active at a gym where she taught swimming lessons and aquaspinning, among other activities. She then registered for a running race and completed six Nijmegen Four-Day Walks.

"After the sixth time, the challenge was gone," admits the Overijssel native. Her curiosity about triathlon persisted, and after first trying an Olympic and a quarter-distance, Aafke grew interested in longer distances. "The first half was a disaster. I was severely affected by sports nutrition. But my 2019 participation led to an AG win in Aix-en-Provence, which I didn’t expect at all!"

It turned out that the longer the distance, the more consistent Aafke’s performance became. Qualifying for the 2021 World Cup in Almere resulted in a finishing time of 10h19: "that was even faster than twice my fastest half-distance time at the time."

Aafke’s enthusiasm is infectious, and this year she raised her ambition level again. "I aimed for an NK podium in Nieuwkoop. Unfortunately, due to the federation, it was canceled," the triathlete refers to the decision to revoke NK status because of blue-green algae. Two days after winning the D40 category, she was back on the road with her time trial bike.

Aafke is currently in rehabilitation. With a fractured collarbone and three broken ribs, a successful recovery is the goal. In upcoming races, starting and finishing will be the primary objectives. For 2024, her focus is on World Cup participation: "The Ironman World Cup will be in Nice then. Not too far, so a great opportunity to compete. Qualification should happen in Hamburg or Klagenfurt."

Aafke’s key races:

03-06 NK half distance Nieuwkoop

27-08 European Championship half triathlon Menen (BEL): 2nd place in age group

09-09 European Championship long distance Almere: 1st in category, NK + EK

21-10 Challenge Vieux-Boucau