Mitch Kuijpers stops kickboxing at a high level. The hobby farmer from Haler would have liked to say goodbye with a European title, but it went to his Polish opponent. In sports hall De Souverein in Lommel, more than a hundred fans from Central Limburg witnessed Kuijpers’ last match.
Kuijpers already won the European and the world title earlier in his career. The 36-year-old kickboxer who broke his back in 2007 is known as ‘The Farmer’ for his peasant fighting style.
Body
Kuijpers, father of two children, quits top sport because his ‘body no longer does what you want your body to do.’ The kickboxer does it with a heavy heart. “I’ve had a lot of great moments in my career. Admitting that you’re getting older is difficult. I can still go, but I don’t want to stop at my lowest point.”
Wheelchair
The kickboxer took on the younger Pole Krzysztof Marianczyk in his last match, who won in five rounds. “It was a tough pot, you want to say goodbye as the winner and that didn’t work out.” Although the kickboxer is disappointed, he can put things into perspective. “For the same money I would have been in a wheelchair after a double fracture in my back. So it’s great that I was able to experience all this.”
Mentor
Kuijpers, who always wears clogs in daily life, will now focus on his own gym in the center of Haler. In addition, he is a personal counselor for, for example, young people with autism or people with brain injuries. He will also continue to train at his club in Eindhoven. “I will continue to train hard, but in the future it won’t be so bad if I miss a training. That is a completely different approach than in recent years.”