Sailing through your studies

“That turned out pretty well, because I’ve since traded that little boat in for the real deal.” And it did, because Nicolaas is currently competing with TeamNL at his third World Championship, this time in Lanzarote.

TeamNL picked him up when he was seventeen, where he began in the talent team. He has since moved up to the under‑21 category with the prospect of the senior field, where he’ll eventually have the luxury of assembling his own team. Still, he deliberately chose a study program outside the sports world. “At first I considered Law, but I missed the international aspect. International Business, especially the finance side, really appeals to me. Studying something that’s not related to sports helps me build a career for when I eventually stop sailing.”

A lot of understanding

That combination requires a true elite‑athlete mentality. “I train twelve times a week, and I’ve studied in every type of vehicle because I’m constantly on the road”, Nicolaas says. “Many top athletes spread their first‑year credits over two years, but I want to complete them in one, and that takes discipline. Whenever I’m not training, I work incredibly hard on my studies. Luckily, I get a lot of support from top‑sports coordinator Niels Emonts. He understands that I can’t always attend classes, and without that support school would be very challenging.”

With conviction

Nicolaas clearly has ambitions, both in the lecture hall and on the water. “I hope to surprise a lot of people in the Netherlands at the upcoming World and European Championships. It would be amazing to go to the Olympics in 2028. 2032 is already locked in, even though it sounds far away. I’m going to work as hard as I possibly can to achieve all my goals, and I’m convinced that it’s going to work out.”