To be a good short track skater, there is no room for fear. Hugo Bosma can talk about that. The 22-year-old from Den Bosch has already suffered several serious injuries, but he has always fought back. “Have I become more careful? No, I always go for it.”
When we ask how Hugo would describe himself, he says without thinking ‘adrenaline junkie’. “I love speed and am a big fan of Formula 1, for example. A few years ago I made a parachute jump and that was certainly not my last time. The tension is so beautiful, your heart is in your throat. Last year I wanted to do a skydiving course, but unfortunately I got sick the day before.”
Short track speed skating is not without dangers, as is evident from the list that Hugo mentions from memory. “I broke my leg two years in a row as a junior. I had a concussion during a fall and it was not treated properly. I wasted a year because of that. A year later I suffered another concussion, from which I recovered well. And I had that injury again later.”
“I also broke my collarbone at the Junior World Championships. I was also hit by a car while cycling and suffered a knee injury. I wouldn’t call myself injury-prone, those were unpleasant moments.”
“Training, my apartment and the supermarket, that’s my life.”
The Brabander did not hesitate for a moment to return after every injury. “Short track is my great passion. The game, the speed and the tension attract me. I am very dedicated. Training, my apartment in Heerenveen and the supermarket, that is largely my life,” he says laughing.
Financially it can sometimes be difficult, he honestly admits. “I currently do not have A status and therefore no income. It is difficult to be dependent on your parents, but I am very motivated to make it in top sport. Although money is certainly not my main motivation, I do it mainly out of love for the sport.”
To ensure that some money comes in, Hugo started his own social media company. “Not that things are going super well yet, but I enjoy earning my own money. In addition to short track, it is a nice way to spend my time.”
The National Championships in Leeuwarden next Saturday and Sunday are the start of the new season for short track speed skaters. Hugo’s goal is to take new steps in his development. “I would like to earn a place in the team for the World Cups. I can gain more experience in this. My dream goal is a ticket for the European Championships or World Cup.”
“If you fall, you feel four times worse.”
He wants to make a name for himself as a short tracker, both individually and with the team. “Of course you want to win prizes individually, you can only look at yourself for that. Winning with a team makes the win extra tasty. But if you fall, for example, you will feel four times worse.”
Many of his competitors are also friends. “We all wish each other the best. But when the goggles and helmet come on, it’s every man for himself.”