'I actually only started rowing for the fun and the drinks, but that plan failed'

Linn started the International Bachelor Economics and Business Economics (IBEB) programme at Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) in Rotterdam in 2020. At the last minute, she also joined the Skadi student rowing club because of all the drinks, parties and social activities. That way, she would be able to see people a few times a week, even during the coronavirus pandemic. Linn: 'It seemed like it would be fun during the pandemic.'

Rapid progress

Linn quickly got into competitive rowing and found it much more enjoyable than she had expected. The fact that she turned out to be good at it helped, of course, but so did the great group of students she met at Skadi. She recalls that period: 'In my second year, things suddenly started moving very quickly. I was allowed to compete in the Under-23 World Championships, which was much sooner than usual. Then everything went into a rapid acceleration. Big tournaments, lots of training. It was a shock, but also a lot of fun.'

She found it easy to combine rowing with her bachelor's degree. 'Rowing gives you a regular routine: first rowing, then off to university and studying,' says Linn. Things got tougher when she joined the TeamNL development team (TalentTeam). 'I worked it out later. I was abroad about 30% of the time. And I went from 8 to 9 training sessions to 14 training sessions per week. In combination with my master's study, that was quite a lot of work and I thought it would take me a year longer. Still, I managed to finish all courses at the end of the year. So I decided to enrol for another master's specialisation.'

A different life

Competitive rowing gave Linn a completely different life. While her fellow students were quietly waking up in their lecture halls for a 9 a.m. morning lecture, she had already had a full day. Training, rushing around, drinking coffee to stay awake. 'Rowing is time-consuming, but the biggest problem is that you're always tired.'

This is also because rowing is a very physical sport: 'Training sessions are often very long, you put in a lot of hours. You often train at a leisurely pace, but competitions are very tough. You see black spots, you get sore, you almost pass out.'

It often happens that Linn is actually sick after a race from the effort she has put in. Linn: 'But even without the beautiful medals, I would choose it again in a heartbeat. You spend a lot of time in nature, it's nice to have a goal, and the people around you are really nice. I'm glad I chose rowing.'

Support

Linn finds the involvement of the club very special. The fact that rowing is a typical student sport helps: 'Competitive rowers and non-competitive rowers are very involved in important events. They watched the World Cup final together at the club, and when we won gold, many rowers were picked up at Schiphol Airport by their club.'