Swimming great Herman Willemse (87) passed away | Sport

sport">Willemse learned to swim in De Wiel, a small lake in Schagen. After moving to Alkmaar, he could often be found in the Pesie’s natural pool. He was successful as a youth member of DAW. At the age of 18, as a member of the Vechtstreek, he became Dutch champion in the 1500 meter freestyle in a new national top time (20.17.8). In 1956 (19.22.0) and in 1957 (18.57.6) he set the Dutch record for the swimming mile again.

The canal

sport">In 1959 Willemse made his debut with a second place at the crossing of the Channel and he received prize money. The KNZB labeled him a swimming professional. Swimming expert Jos van Kuijeren about this: ,,Rie Mastenbroek was already excluded as an amateur in 1936 for this reason. For Herman it was the start of a glorious career as a professional. He won the prestigious Atlantic City five times and with that 20,000 guilders.” For comparison: as a teacher in Utrecht he earned 298 guilders a month.

sport">In 1981, Marcel Stroet, web manager of openwaterswimming.club, came into the picture. At the age of 17 he made his debut when he crossed the IJsselmeer. ,,With Pieter van den Hoogenband, he is the only Dutch swimmer to be inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. He swam competitions in the Americas and organized everything himself. He went to Argentina with a tanker. Trained on board in a small pool on a rope. Not for nothing, because he swam in front of 25,000 spectators at Mar de la Plata,” said Stroet.

sport">Edith van Dijk swam the 60-kilometer marathon Santa Fé-Coranda in Argentina in 2000. ,,Herman was a guest there with his wife Nel. Thirty years later, he received a hero’s welcome. That says enough, doesn’t it?”, the multiple world champion said. “He was not proud of his performance. That suited him.”

sport">After his swimming career, Willemse stood in front of the class for another five years. He then sailed all over the world before moving to Texel. He no longer actively swims, but he was only too happy to share anecdotes. Including in the book ‘Free Battle’.

sport">Noordhollands Dagblad

–