As a child she was a quiet girl, always motivated to get the best out of herself. That silence changed when Janna van Kooten left her parental home, a farm in the Groningen countryside, at the age of 16 to live on her own in Eindhoven. Now three years later, Janna is a world swimming champion and a well-known Dutchman. “There are people who want to take a picture with me, I find that so special.”
At the age of 17, Janna became European champion in the 4×200 meter freestyle with the relay team and recently became the best in the world in the 4×100 meters. Something she definitely didn’t expect. It took some time to get used to all the attention: from the media, such as interviews with foreign journalists, but also the many reactions on social media.
“I don’t feel that special.”
“I notice on the street that people recognize me and ask for an autograph. I had to get used to that, because I don’t feel that special. But that appreciation is of course very nice.”
And so Janna is suddenly the center of attention. Something she used to not really like as a shy girl. As a farmer’s daughter, she grew up in a town in Groningen. And from an early age she proved to be a talented swimmer. To get the most out of it, she moved from Niekerk to Eindhoven. The city of the Pieter van den Hoogenband Swimming Stadium.
Quite a step, but it went quite well and soon she was fine on the floor where she lives with other swimmers. She even picks up Brabant a bit. “I often say ‘rock’ in a sentence. But statements like ‘I was hit by a car’ or ‘I’m finished’ don’t sound good, haha.”
“Going shopping or going to the cinema provides the right balance.”
During the week she can be found every day in the Pieter van den Hoogenband Swimming Stadium. She trains there about thirty to forty hours a week and then returns to her parents’ farm at the weekend. To be able to let go of swimming for a while. “Standing ‘on’ all the time doesn’t work for me. Going shopping, going to the cinema or eating out provides the right balance.”
Her training as a pharmacy assistant at Summa College is also an outlet. She takes her classes online, but on Wednesday afternoons she does an internship at a pharmacy. After her swimming career, she certainly wants to continue in this profession and perhaps grow into a pharmacist.
“I dreamed of the Olympic Games as a child.”
For now, her biggest goal is to qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris this summer. “I dreamed of that as a girl. When the ticket for Paris is in, my father and mother will come and cheer me on.” And it is precisely the latter that is worth a lot to her. After all, life and work on the farm always goes on. That’s why her parents can never actually watch big matches. All the better for Janna if they can attend in Paris.