Just like them
I was born in Woerden on the 19th of December in 1996. Soon after my birth they discovered a length difference in my legs. From an early age, I walked with a prosthetic leg, but after a few hip surgeries I found out that playing sports standing up wasn’t possible. My right hip can’t handle walking for more then 10 minutes, so I was encouraged by physiotherapists to play wheelchair tennis. I loved it straight away.
I grew up with a great group of friends around me, who showed me I was just like them, despite my disability. They took me everywhere and always treated me the same.
At 7 I took up wheelchair tennis. Learning how to move the chair and hold the racquet at the same time. When I was 17 I started my professional career, playing tennis full time, every day of the week. I traveled all over the world to compete with the best, mostly alone. This taught me a lot of valuable things, I got to know myself and I learnt how to be independent .