Joep Wennemars is an ambassador for our fund. "A life without sports... Unimaginable!" Speed skater for Team Jumbo-Visma, Joep Wennemars, grew up with it at home. His father, Erben, made the Netherlands proud at European Championships, World Championships, and the Olympic Games. As a little boy, Joep was always active himself. "Sports were part of it. It's given me so much: being healthy outdoors, moving, fighting for something, but also processing disappointments on your own or with your team. That's how you grow. I want every child to experience that. That's why I'm eager to dedicate myself wholeheartedly to the Youth Sports & Culture Fund. Because what you learn through sports, you carry with you for the rest of your life."
In the past, sports were a part of our upbringing. It was normal. "It wasn't until later that I realized that playing sports or joining a club wasn't a given for every child." Father Erben was a top athlete and, even after his active career, he always kept moving. It's part of his life and has inspired his family as well.
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