“Hip first, deeper, deeper!” The instructions of skating coach Peter van der Rol Brouwer resound through the hall of IJsbaan Haarlem as his pupil Anouk rounds the bend at full speed. “Anouk’s strength lies in her willingness,” says Peter. “She just wants it. And not just a little bit. She really wants it.”
It is a drive that is no stranger to Rens Vergeer (no relation ‘of’ by the way). In addition, the youngster has another special quality, according to his coach. “Rens is very capable of converting verbal instructions into movements,” says Van der Rol Brouwer. “That is really a skill that few people have.”