Wendy Verhoeks (36) of Van Thiel Traffic School in Beneden-Leeuwen has been chosen as the best driving instructor in the Netherlands. De Maurikse won the ‘Gouden Stuur’ in the competition set up by QMusic and insurer Univé. “I could only scream and jump.”
This year, the radio station started a search for the best driving instructor. Two thousand instructors were nominated by listeners. Verhoeks already knew that she had collected so many votes that she was in the top 3, after which another round of voting was held. On Thursday evening, during a live broadcast, it became clear that the title was hers.
According to Verhoeks, she did not react too well when she heard, or actually saw, the results. “We had to hand in the keys to our teaching car in advance. A curtain opened and there was my car with stickers on it: ‘the best driving instructor’. It was overwhelming. I burst into tears. I did not expect it.
“The other instructors were top notch. I had very nice conversations with them. I am very fearful of failure, I had the feeling that I was being lived all week. I wanted to thank everyone but couldn’t get a word out.”
Bond with her students
She herself calls her profession the best there is because of the freedom, the challenge and the different characters of her students. She also responds to that during the lessons. “Every hour I have different conversations and I build a bond,” she said earlier in this newspaper.
Also active on TikTok
Verhoeks is next to a driving instructor also active on TikTok. Here she pays attention to fear of failure, something she also struggled with during her driving lessons and still does now. Verhoeks has only been a driving instructor for five years. Before that she did company catering. She combines her work with caring for her three daughters.
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and don’t miss a thing of the stars.
