Kuipers takes break to focus on Olympics
OLYMPICS hopeful Andie Kuipers has taken a break from university in her quest to qualify for the Paris 2024 Games in triathlon.
The Games are scheduled for July 26 to August 11.
Kuipers is one of the 10 beneficiaries of the Olympic Solidarity Paris 2024 Scholarships.
Through the support of the International Olympic Committee, the Olympic Solidarity Scholar-ship funding offers assistance to National Olympic Committees (NOCs) for direct athlete support towards preparation and qualification for the Olympic Games.
The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee announced the beneficiaries for the Paris Games in 2022.
“I think in terms of this last year, it’s been incredible for my development. Getting on the ZOC (Zimbabwe Olympic Committee) scholarship has allowed me to race in a lot more races than I usually would have and I got a new coach at the beginning of last year.
“And the way he has coached me; he trains me not just as an athlete but also as a person. So, I think my character has developed in a way. I used to get so nervous before a race but now I find it fun and I find my potential fun because I can see like I am getting somewhere and it’s exciting that I have the confidence to do something that I think is going to be really good.
“I managed to win my first Continental Cup, African Continental Cup last year in Kenya, which was amazing because I didn’t believe that I could do it…That was coming off after a training camp that I was lucky enough to go on in Europe.
“And I was training with some of the best athletes in the world and I think that also helped me to show me where my level was at and that if I can keep up with them I can race with them.
“So it’s just been about repeating things that I never thought I could do because I think that repetition creates belief and belief creates confidence. So the more confident I am, the more my ability improves.”
However, for her, she has made it clear she is not just focusing on the 2024 Olympic Games but also the 2028 edition, which she believes is more realistic.
Kuipers, who is studying Psychology at Wingate University in the United
States, has temporarily returned home for her training. She has taken a semester off to focus on Olympic qualification and is satisfied with the progress she has made over the last year.
She competed in several races and won her first Africa Cup last August in Kenya before coming second at the 2023 Africa Triathlon Sprint Championships Blue Bay in Mauritius, in September.
“I got to have a good break over Christmas time, so now I am building back into 2024 where I have five more races that I am targeting.
“Those right now are going to be some African Cups, and then potentially two Asian Cups. I am aiming to get points at those races to get a higher enough ranking to go to the 2024 Games.
“But if I go to 2024, it’s going to be probably a big shock for me because I think 2028 is more realistic. But like I said, last year I did things that I never thought I could, so you never know.
“I have decided to take a semester off school because I would regret not going for something because there is nothing more satisfying to me than going for something a 100 percent.
“So I will be working with my coach, his name is Michael Harvey but he is based in Switzerland. He is actually the national coach of the Olympic team. But he took me on last year and so he will continue to coach me virtually whilst I am here.”
With Kuipers training in Zimbabwe, national coach Pamela Fulton assists with a few things and gives feedback to Harvey.