Joachim Scheffer overcame depression thanks to a new sport: freerunning. Now the teenager from Leek wants to be an example for others who are having a hard time.
When Joachim Scheffer (19) from Leek walks onto the Nieuwe Markt near the Forum, the possibilities of the square immediately cross his mind. That bench there, in front of the underground bicycle shed, is a good starting point for one flow. And what about a back flip from the grandstand in the Forum hall?
Joachim puts on free running: a sport in which a runner uses walls, stairs and other obstacles to stunt his way through a city. It is a relatively young sport that originated in the eighties and came over from Paris. The Netherlands has about five hundred freerunners, who regularly meet, organize competitions and flows – multiple movements in succession – share on social media.
Text continues below the Instagram post.
That’s where Joachim’s videos go through the roof. His most popular has been viewed 64 million times on Instagram and has 2 million likes. The name of the account with which he shares the images, that fat free runner , is striking. Why the emphasis on his weight? That is a well-considered choice, the teenager explains.
Joachim wants to serve as an example for others who are in an unpleasant situation. Because he has been that way for a long time. He is bullied at primary and secondary school and he also has a hard time at home: at the age of 14, Joachim is removed from home.
Depression
“Because of the bullying and the problems with youth care, I became depressed. The medicines I received caused me to gain a lot of weight,” he explains. A friend of Joachim’s brother is a freerunner and convinces him four years ago to also start the sport.
Joachim is immediately enthusiastic, precisely because it is an unknown sport. Football? Nine out of ten children already do. This is new and exciting. Moreover, he has been doing gymnastics for a while, that experience comes in handy.
The training sessions give Joachim muscle pain, but also much needed distraction. His head is empty when he is in one flow sits: just what he needs to leave that depression behind. The freerunner can often be found on the street: his training sessions can easily take three to four hours.
Are flows he shares on Instagram and TikTok. All positive reactions contribute to a new start. His Instagram account has nearly 200,000 followers. Joachim receives thousands of responses to each video, each of which he tries to answer personally.
Earn money freerunning
Outside the sport, the Leekster also has his life in better order, he says. Joachim works three days a week as an employee in a recycling center and as a bicycle repairman. He lives on his own and has driving lessons. He now sees his parents and brother once a week.
His big dream? Earn enough money with freerunning to live off it. His Instagram account already brings in some money: with millions of viewers, Joachim is interesting for sponsors. So interesting that since a few weeks he has his own management to manage those contacts.
Joachim, meanwhile, remains new flows and also hopes to take steps on a sporting level: ,,One day I would like to win a match, but that is still a long way off.”