At the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Jong did not reach the finals in either the 100-meter or 200-meter sprint. At the next Summer Paralympics in Tokyo in 2020, she won a gold medal in the long jump. The Games in Paris will be her third Paralympic Games. She is looking forward to it: ‘I am older now and can enjoy my achievements much more, instead of worrying about what others think of me.’ She is aiming for at least two medals.
Top sport status
This puts considerable pressure on herself. What does this mean for her studies? In addition to her training and competitions, Fleur also studies Communication Sciences at the UvA. She has been given top-sport status for this. ‘This means that I can be more flexible with my programme.’
‘I look with my study advisor at what I still have to do and when those subjects are taught. Certain periods of the year are for my sport. Summer, for example, when there is so much going on in the field of sports that I can’t plan anything around it. Winter is the only period that can be planned. That limits my options anyway.’
‘Before I take a course, I contact the teacher to discuss my situation. I indicate that there are periods in which I will not be there 9 times out of 10. Lectures are always recorded and released to me every week. And I look carefully at the courses I choose: too many work groups, for example, is not feasible for me.’
Top sports coordinator
In addition to a ‘regular’ coordinator, Jong also has a top sports coordinator: ‘He steps in when things get really complicated to find a solution together with all parties. And that is an important point of the top sports program: finding personal solutions, because of course no situation is the same.’
