After the news that they stop top sport, Noortje and Bregje de Brouwer received a lot of reactions. “Almost more than after our bronze medal at the Olympic Games,” they say laughing. The 26-year-old synchrome swimming sisters from Goirle stop at their peak and look back on their career. “In top sport you go to the limit. Secretly you sometimes think about whether you didn’t go too far.”
The sporting highlight of the sisters from Goirle was the Olympic bronze medal last year in Paris. But they also wrote history with a silver World Cup medal and two European titles. After the Olympic Games, the twins took a rest and went on a journey through Asia, among other things. They also used the rest period to think about a continuation of their top sports career.
Eventually they decided to stop, where Noortje’s shoulder injury was an important cause. “We got everything in it,” says Noortje. “I feel that it is very difficult because of my shoulder to surpass that. Every time I was in pain in the swimming pool. I didn’t know if I could keep that up until the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. That’s why this feels like the completion of a very special process.”
What they knew directly is that they remain involved in the sport. Bregje: “It is not that we get out of the world and want nothing more to do with it. We want to give something back to the sport that has brought us so much. With lectures and clinics, for example, we support young synchronizers from our knowledge and experience.”
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Topsport has yielded many beautiful moments. They saw different countries, achieved success and above all they enjoyed the sport. But top sport also had a downside, both sisters say. “You set the bar higher and higher, push your limits and challenge yourself time and time again. Until your body starts giving signals and then also in the mental field.” The pursuit of getting better and is now falling away for the sisters.
“Try to indicate what your limits are.”
During their clinics and lectures they do not avoid the hard sides of top sport. “What we tell talents, for example, is that they have to try to indicate what their limits are at a young age. Dare to indicate that to a coach. Of course you ask a lot of your body to get the top, but be careful that you don’t go over it. Even though that line is very thin.”
Both are now going to work on a social career. It also means that they will be together less often than in the years that they were in the water full -time. Bregje: “We have been traveling together, but have also visited countries separately. With work and in private area we will be more often separate from each other, but that will be all right. We continue to act as a team, we are very strong in that.”
Looking back on their career, they are especially proud. “As young girls we were very introverted and modest. The years in top sport have dragged us out of the comfort zone and we learned to stand up for ourselves. It is not that we used to dream of the Olympic Games, it was a long route before we achieved success. We did always stay close to ourselves and never walk alongside our shoes.”