Mikky Irene Keetels is one of the fastest marathon runners in the Netherlands and will aim for the national podium at the Amsterdam Marathon next Sunday. The life of 26-year-old Schijndelse looks very different from that of other top athletes. She works full-time as a flight attendant, is graduating as a journalist and ChatGPT is a source of inspiration. “It is especially important to listen to my body.”
Keetels was always sporty, but during her student days the Brabant woman had other priorities. “I ran occasionally, but I didn’t take it seriously at all. I did know that I wanted to exercise more often after my years as a student.”
In 2019, she impulsively registered for the New York Marathon with the aim of raising money for KiKa. Over the next few years she continued to run for charity and became somewhat addicted to running.
In 2024 she ran under 2.45 hours in Malaga and this year in Rotterdam she surprised by finishing as the second Dutch woman in a time of 2.33.46. “In Malaga I noticed that I could still improve myself so much. What if I really started focusing on the sport seriously? For example, I resolved to run at least 100 kilometers every week from January 1, 2025. I continue to push boundaries every time.”
During the Amsterdam Marathon, and also the national championship, Keetels is a contender for the podium on Sunday. “My goal is to run under 2.30 hours, which would be a great personal record,” says the athlete, who lives in Utrecht, and whose main goal is the 2028 Olympic Games.
“I use ChatGPT to see which training sessions I can schedule.”
She spent the last two weeks preparing for Amsterdam from Mallorca. In any case, Keetels trains a lot outside the country’s borders. From Hong Kong to Colombia and from Mexico to South Africa, she travels the world as a flight attendant.
“I have a dream job and visit great places. Before my flight, I look online and via ChatGPT to see what training sessions I can schedule. What is the weather like there, where is it safe and what are beautiful routes? Then I can, for example, do an endurance run in New York or an altitude internship in Johannesburg. If you do something cool like that, it gives an energy boost.”
It is striking that despite her enormous progress, she does not have a trainer. “Maybe that is a step I will still take, but the freedom actually gives me peace. I have a busy schedule and can plan my own training. If I feel great, I plan a long endurance run, but if I have a bad day I make a different choice. But no matter how I feel, I always put on my running shoes. Going deep is also going.”
“I throw things overboard that don’t feel good.”
She mainly looks at other athletes for her training. “I read a lot and get a lot out of information on Strava or social media, for example. If I try it out and it works, I keep it. I throw things overboard that don’t feel good. For example, I have recently started training a little differently, such as twice a day. I also take it easier in the last period before a marathon. I don’t follow a nutrition plan, but I also know what works for me in that area.”
Trying things involves making mistakes. “For example, I once drank apple cider vinegar before the Utrecht marathon, which went badly. And I once only drank a bottle of cola before a race. In Amsterdam I will try to improve myself with the things I have learned.”