Nina Franke from Heesch has developed in a short time into one of the fastest athletes in the Netherlands. The 23-year-old who is part of the 4×400 meter relay team at the World Cup Athletics in Tokyo this week, had to get used to her new status. “It felt crazy that unknown people suddenly wanted to talk to me. I was just doing my thing, right?”
The fact that she chose athletics has everything to do with pole -high jump. “I saw that sport on television and I thought it looked interesting. With my 9 years I was much too young for it, but I decided to switch from gymnastics to athletics. There I discovered different parts in the all -around camp, but I liked the hordes the most. From the association in Oss I made the switch to Prince Hendrik in Vught.”
Until last year, few sports enthusiasts had heard of Nina Franke. With a silver slab on the 400 meter hurdles at the NK, she ‘suddenly’ reported to the national top. This year she proved that she is not a one -day fly, because silver followed again in the 400 meters hurdles at the Dutch Championship and at the NK indoor she was fourth in the 400 meters. Her highlight was the gold medal at the European Indoor European Championship in Apeldoorn on the 4×400 meters, where she took the second in action at the relay team. “To be allowed to walk there was great.”
Her career is faster than she expected. “I had the dream to make it to the top of the Netherlands, but I didn’t know if it was realistic. I was mainly busy with a nice group of people. When things went a lot faster and better on the track and I achieved good results, I adjusted my goals. To my own surprise I could start thinking of the European and world top.”
Despite the sporting successes, Nina did not start doing much different as a athlete. For example, she does not train like many other top athletes at Sportcentrum Papendal, but still at her association in Vught. And she combines walking with the Pedagogical Sciences study in Nijmegen.
“I have added a seventh training to my weekly schedule. Much more is not on my planning yet, because I don’t want to overload myself. In the future I will see if I can train more and if that works for me. It would be nice to also place me individually for big tournaments.”
What helps her, his conversations with teammates such as Femke Bol, Cathelijn Peeters and Lieke Klaver. “For example, I can learn from them how they deal with all the hustle and bustle and how they are always able to perform at tournaments. Even if every athlete tackles it differently. What works for one person does not have to work for someone else.”
Whether she will take action during the World Cup, she will only be told shortly before the series on Saturday. A day later the final is on the program. “It is exciting until the last minute who will take action. We have a good and strong team. The goal is a medal, but you never know how it goes.”
In her hometown Heesch, but also in the rest of the Netherlands, athletics fans will follow the operations of the relay team. “On the street I regularly speak to old acquaintances who tell me that they have seen me walk on television. I notice that many people sympathize with me. It’s new to me, but I like it.”
