I am convinced that a healthy balance between swimming and school will generate growth on both sides. Swimming is a healthy outlet for the stress caused by schoolwork, and in return, schoolwork works as a healthy distraction to reduce the pressure put on my performance in the pool. All my life I have done swimming with studying beside each other and I believe that I will always keep doing that, unless I find a job that I can combine with swimming. You never stop learning and I believe it is important to invest in life after my swimming career.

A good education also almost serves as like a safety net in case swimming does not go well, I accidentally sprain my ankle and my swimming career is over, or if my body is exhausted and I have to move on in life. I don’t want to say that is the reason for me to study; It just ensures me that I can keep my mind at ease and take risks that other professional athletes cannot take. I basically have nothing to lose.

This is one of the main reasons I made the choice to attend NC State to swim and study. In the Netherlands, it is very difficult to combine swimming and education, in America the whole system has been adapted to allow student-athletes to do it simultaneously. Practices are planned in order to be able to take classes, and teachers would like to participate in optimizing the scheduling around meets because they are proud of your achievements for the university. More about this in my post on “Why NC State?”.

Balance in life ultimately ensures the best performance. For me, the combination of swimming and school gives balance in life.