They prefer to play a nice game of power chair hockey, but lately brother and sister Tim (26) and Sanne (24) Heere from Hoogeveen can mainly be found in the kitchen.
The two have already baked hundreds of cookies, which they are selling to fund their trip to the world championship of power chair hockey, or electric wheelchair hockey, in Finland. “We have been busy baking for three weekends in a row now.”
They got the talent from their father. And this also applies to the hereditary condition HMSN. “That’s why we’re both in wheelchairs, just like our father,” says Tim.
In nerve muscle disease, the brain transmits signals to the muscles with a delay. As a result, Sanne cannot walk at all, but Tim can.
Tim has been playing para hockey since he was eight. He was part of a talent team at a very young age and is now the captain of the Dutch power chair hockey team.
Sister Sanne has also been involved in the sport for a long time and is now on the list as a reserve. So there’s a good chance that the two of them will go to Finland in May. Ten countries will compete there for the title.
“We are a country that is generally doing well, so we are definitely going for gold,” says Tim.
But unlike A-athletes who fall under the NOC-NSF, such a trip is not reimbursed. And such a trip is expensive. That’s why the brother and sister decided to raise money. And they do that by baking cookies.
In total, Tim has to raise about 1,500 euros, and Sanne – because she is on the reserve list – 750 euros. What do they think about their trip not being funded? “It’s a shame, because you want to focus on the World Cup,” says Tim. “But that’s just the way it is. So we’re going for it.”
People can buy two types of cookies: jam cookies and chocolate cookies. You can order by sending Sanne a message via Facebook Messenger. The cookies will be delivered to your home from February 2. Collection is also possible.
