For the first time since the death of their girlfriend, teammate and training buddy Lara van Ruijven on July 10, the short trackers were back on the ice of Thialf, where photos and the famous panther heart keep her thoughts alive.
“Lara is still everywhere. When you enter the stadium, her photos are hanging there. And I also hurt myself with my screen saver. When I switch on my phone, I see Lara,” says coach Jeroen Otter.
“You see her panther heart on the screen. Lara is in our head all the time,” adds Suzanne Schulting. “But in the end, skating is also an outlet. You can change your mind, which is also very nice.”
Her last round
Recently, the short trackers have experienced as a rollercoaster. After fate struck during a training camp in Font Romeu, France, the defeated short trackers returned home. Last Wednesday they said goodbye to Van Ruijven, with a last tribute in Thialf.
“It was very impressive, very honorable. It really came in,” says Schulting. Teammate Sjinkie Knegt: “It was very nice that so many people came for Lara. That shows how loved she was. Together with Lara we did one last round in Thialf. We all walked behind the car with her chest. It was very heavy. “
Watch in the video below how hundreds of loved ones paid a final tribute to Lara van Ruijven on Wednesday.
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