Sportsman through and through, Hendrik Lanjouw from Veenoord received a royal honor tonight. Mayor Eric van Oosterhout of the municipality of Emmen surprised him with a ribbon in the Post Office café in New Amsterdam.
Lanjouw received the award for his years of dedication to various gymnastics clubs in South-east Drenthe. At the age of 18, the gymnastics star became a board member of the gymnastics club DOL, which later merged into DOL/Olympia Combinatie (DOC) Veenoord/Nieuw-Amsterdam.
Later he also became a gym leader at EGV in Bargeres and at the gym club in Zwartemeer.
Lanjouw was also involved in 12 editions of the World Gymnaestrada, better known as the ‘recreational Olympic Games’. This event is organized once every four years and Lanjouw was involved in this sports festival in various ways.
He was responsible, among other things, for the training of the jumping groups, arranged trips and devised choreographies.
In addition to the spurs that Lanjouw made in the sports world, he also received the award for his efforts for the women’s and men’s choir Sint Caecilia in Erica. He has been treasurer here for five years.