After nine months, Viktor Brand has still not recovered from his torn Achilles tendon. He speaks of a ‘horror injury’. “My calf muscle had to be completely rebuilt.”
It was quite a shock for Viktor Brand last summer. The presenter of the program with Frank Visser tore his Achilles tendon at the beginning of June and that is a pretty serious injury. In fact, now, nine months later, he is still not the same. He still sees a physiotherapist twice a week.
Horror injury
Such a torn Achilles tendon is not easy, Viktor explains in the TROS Compass. “I completely tore my Achilles tendon while playing tennis at the beginning of June. Seven weeks in a cast, then you won’t have any calf muscle left. It had to be completely rebuilt.”
Viktor hopes to eventually become his old self again. “I can’t do everything yet and I also have physiotherapy twice a week. It really is a horror injury.”
Confronting
The injury hit Viktor extra hard. “It was very confronting to be dependent and to notice that you are limited by your body. Especially for a control freak like me. During those seven weeks, our dog Tapas also became heaven, pretty much my best friend in life. It wasn’t my best time.”
Maybe that death was even worse, according to Viktor. “If you don’t have children of your own, like me, an animal like that kind of takes that place. It’s been six months, but the sadness still overwhelms me sometimes and I find it difficult to talk about it. It has had a huge impact.”
25 years of SBS 6
Viktor’s wish is to emigrate to Spain, but for the time being he is still busy with TV work. “I have been employed by SBS 6 for over 25 years and have done many different programs, which fortunately often ran for more seasons.”
He concludes: “I really like that I don’t have to look for a new program every year. I now have a number of courses that really suit me and I still think it is the most enjoyable profession there is.”
Viktor on crutches: