“I am twenty kilos lighter and my double chin and swollen stomach are gone.” Sailor Angelique van Enk (42) from Prinsenbeek is grateful and happy that she can finally set a new course in her life. Earlier this year, her dream looked like inland shipping to work to pieces. According to the rules in the shipping industry, she was simply too fat for the profession. She did not give up, decided to pursue her passion and underwent a stomach reduction stroke.
The new sailor proudly shows her official certificate. “A lot of reassurance,” she calls it. Angelique has been approved and can now work in her new position for one year. She must then undergo another medical examination.
The tears of happiness that Angelique now has were still tears of sadness in October. “I am apparently too fat for my work,” she told Omroep Brabant at the time. With a height of 1.76 meters and a weight of 130 kilos, her body mass index (BMI) was 42. According to the guidelines of the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT), much too high to be allowed to work as a sailor. She was only allowed to do odd jobs as an ordinary sailor on board her husband’s inland vessel. In order to move up a rank and achieve the desired BMI, she saw a stomach reduction as the only option.
READ ALSO: Tears for Angelique, because she is not allowed to be a sailor: ‘I am apparently too fat’
It has now been six weeks since Angelique went under the knife. The recovery period is now over. Angelique has also completed her medical re-examination. “I had to hand in my urine, stand on the scales, my heart rate and blood pressure were measured and my eyes and ears were checked,” she reflects. Everything is fine, it turns out. “There was no reason to reject me again,” she says with relief.
“No one should be rejected based on their weight.”
Her story on this website and app made a big splash. “People thought I had courage for sharing this. It’s so unfair. No one should be rejected based on their weight, if you can just do your things.” The Algemeene Schippers Vereeniging stood up for Angelique and even considered taking legal action due to discrimination.
Even though Angelique is now allowed to work as a sailor, she remains critical of the inspection process. According to her, not the BMI, but overall health should come first. “Rico Verhoeven also has a BMI that is too high,” she laughs. A medical advisor agreed with her and therefore contacted someone who is responsible for European regulations. “I managed to not look at those numbers of my weight and BMI, but at my overall health.”
Angelique still needs to lose a few kilos so that her certificate can be extended after one year. “But at least I can start sailing with fresh courage in 2025. Losing weight will certainly work.”
