Velsen-Zuid – Irene Schouten is a skater who belongs to the Hall of Fame of global sport. Last February she announced that she was ready for a new chapter, while apparently still having enough physical strength for the next Olympic Games. Mentally she had already expanded her horizons. Looking back on her skating career, Irene shared with the Felisenum the importance of good mental health.
In the backstage, Irene is tentative about when she can go on stage: “I’ll hear about it.” Her impressive record makes us look up to her with admiration. The foundations for her fierce work ethic were laid in her West Frisian tulip grower family with a traditional division of roles. After a successful start, Irene is even the top favorite for the Olympic Games, which is treated with Dutch sobriety in her environment: “90% of the top favorites don’t make it.” Irene does not let the echo of these words settle in her head and reflects imagines the other side of the coin: “I am the 10%.” During the advance to PyeongChang, disaster strikes, her mother suffers a brain haemorrhage and her Achilles heel is hit. How do you mentally get out of such an emotional valley?
Her family chooses to release Irene from informal care and her coach advises her to head tulips; dampening stimuli so that all her energy can flow to her sphere. Her social network was limited to intimates; (social) media was banned from her phone; her sleep schedule became consistent. Irene was honored in PyeongChang. The analogy for the students of the Felisenum is obvious. Irene is certainly not dejected, she rises from every fall with determination, because the work is not yet finished. While she trains from her top athlete fitness level, Irene is already laying the foundation for the next chapter. (Photo: supplied Felisenum)
