That is why Van der Holst decides to seek professional help and talk about his depressive feelings. “I didn’t see any other options, so I spent the entire summer in therapy.”
Things are now much better again and Van der Holst is, just like last year, fully committed to drawing attention to the interests of mental health. “Last year I ran a hundred kilometers on a running track, as a symbol of the laps you run in your head and that you can get stuck in your own thoughts.”
The next challenge with which he wants to raise money will start next year, because he has just returned from an injury, he has to take it a bit easier than he is used to for the time being. The goal for 2026: run 200 kilometers around Lake Lucerne, in jeans that is.
“We want to break a world record with this. There is currently no record, a hundred and sixty kilometers have been run in jeans, but this has never been officially recorded.”
In the meantime, Van der Holst is not sitting still and, outside of his training and education, he is looking for companies and people who want to donate money for his upcoming running challenge.
Finally, he has a tip for all people who suffer from depressive feelings: “Go exercise, listen to positive things, surround yourself with positive people and above all: talk about it!”
“I often bottled things up myself, but I noticed when I talked to people about why I wasn’t feeling well, they often recognized my feelings and said: ‘Hey, I have that too’. Discuss things, it is not a weakness to be vulnerable and express your feelings.”