Support young Wageningen top athletes with the Fund Niels Smith

Handball player Esma Staal (20) plays in the premier league at VZV in the North Holland village of 't Veld. She also competes in European competitions with her team. Staal is also part of the Jong Oranje (under twenty). Sofie Dokter (19) from Groningen won gold at the Dutch heptathlon championship this year and competed at the European championship this summer, where she finished 13th. Both athletes are getting better and better in their sport discipline and we hope to give them a boost to the top with this scholarship.

On March 26, 2020, student and sailor Floortje Hoogstede was awarded a grant of 1500 euros by the Niels Smith Fund.

Hoogstede, a third-year BSc Nutrition and Health student, was active as a sailor in the Laser Radial class, a one-man boat, until the corona crisis. “I am very happy with the award, because the contribution gives me the opportunity to continue sailing,” says Hoogstede. She would actually stop with major sailing events because of the costs: over 500 euros per event. “Except for clothing, which I get from my sponsor Magic Marine, I have to pay for almost everything myself; I pretty much emptied my piggy bank last year.’ Unfortunately, Hoogstede cannot go to major sailing competitions for the time being. They have been canceled due to corona. As soon as she is allowed again, she will continue in team sailing, because she has outgrown the youth class with the Laser one-man boat. "I'm in a new team and together we will sail competitions on four and five-person boats."

_{Source: Wageningen World, 2-2020}

On Wednesday 15 May, Wageningen student Emma Oosterwegel, who combines her studies with top sport, received a grant of 1500 euros from the Niels Smith Fund. The top athlete participates in indoor heptathlon and javelin throw and studies Soil, Water and Atmosphere at the university. The scholarship awarded to her is intended as a contribution to the costs of material and participation in tournaments.

Emma Oosterwegel (20) made the transition to the senior athletes last year and immediately took the Dutch title in the indoor all-around. Based on that performance, she was allowed to make her debut at an international all-around in Ratingen, Germany. This summer she will participate in the European Championship under 23 in Sweden and hopes to reach a top 10 place there. She wants to use the grant to finance the costs for this, among other things. In the long term, she would like to participate in the European Athletics Championships. The grant is a helping hand to realize this dream.

Steffie belongs to the top of track cycling among the Dutch juniors. At the 2017 World Championships, she placed 2nd in the keirin section. She made the transition from the juniors to the promises in 2018. It is her ambition in 2018 to also make the step from the talent group to the top sports group among the U21s. In the next two to three years she would like to develop to world level among women. The grant is a helping hand to realize this dream.

“I mainly wanted to use the fair to gain experience at international competitions, and I succeeded! In December 2018 the Dutch elites championship was held. There I came third twice. Shortly afterwards I also won a competition in Ghent. I then trained with the team in Mallorca for a while.

This year I will participate in a number of exhibition competitions and I can also participate in the European Games in Belarus. This will be the biggest race I've ridden so far. I hope to learn a lot there and of course also enjoy it. I will continue to compete in the European Under-23 Championships, and hope to qualify for the European Elite Championships this year. Besides the fact that I was able to gain a lot of experience, I also bought new track shoes from the fair. These are very expensive, because they have to be made exactly to size with a mold.

Of course I also have to study. Sometimes I have full-time courses that last all day five days a week. Fortunately, my coach responds well to this and I can train in the evenings. In this way I manage to keep up with my studies and I still enjoy it.”

Two WUR students received on 25 April 2017 a sport scholarship to the amount of 1.500 euro of the Fund Niels Smith, one of the funds of University Fund Wageningen.

The students, Dèlenn van Oostrom (21) and Hilde Jager (19) are talented top athletes who got an extra impulse allowing them to combine their passion with their study. The scholarships are handed over by the founder of the fund, mrs. Marianne Remmers.
On behalf of UFW, congratulations! The Fund Niels Smith helps young top athletes to fulfil their dream. The money can be used for material purchases, sports internships, training camps abroad, participation costs in competitions as well as travel expenses.

Two WUR students received on 25 April 2017 a sport scholarship to the amount of 1.500 euro of the Fund Niels Smith, one of the funds of University Fund Wageningen.

The students, Dèlenn van Oostrom (21) and Hilde Jager (19) are talented top athletes who got an extra impulse allowing them to combine their passion with their study. The scholarships are handed over by the founder of the fund, mrs. Marianne Remmers. On behalf of UFW, congratulations! The Fund Niels Smith helps young top athletes to fulfil their dream. The money can be used for material purchases, sports internships, training camps abroad, participation costs in competitions as well as travel expenses.

Judoka Krijn Schetters studies Biosystems at Wageningen University. His ambition is to win medals at the European Cups. He would like to prove that he belongs to the best. With help of the Fund Niels Smith he is able to combine his studies with being a judoka. Because of the Fund he had the possibility to participate in a few European contests and also he was able to buy new sports gear.

“I am so grateful for the support of the Fund Niels Smith, because of them I had the chance to reach my goals.”

Professional Latin dancer Dieuwertje de Wagenaar studies Landscape Architecture at Wageningen University. Three years ago she discovered dancing as her passion. Since then she worked very hard to get to the top. Her hard work was rewarded in 2014 when she participated in the finals of the Dutch Championships. “Thanks to the Fund Niels Smith I get more acknowledgement for my Latin dancing and that is something I am really grateful for."

Archer Carrie Wegh

Archer Carrie Wegh is following the Master Nutrition and Health at Wageningen University. She is achieving good results at the juniors and seniors competitions with her archery. Her goal is to participate in the Olympic Games. Carrie does not yet have a paid NOC*NSF status. She uses the contribution from the fund to compensate for the extra costs that she makes in order to combine her archery with her studies.

Speed skater Mayon Kuipers

Speed skater Mayon Kuipers follows the Food Technology study at the Van Hall Larenstein, University of Applied Sciences. Her goal is to participate in the World Championships short track- and long track speed skating. She would also like to participate in the Olympic Games in Sochi in 2014. She buys material with the contribution that she receives from the fund.

Mayon is member of the Liga speed skating team this season and you can follow Mayon via the team Liga website.

Javelin thrower Evelien Dekkers

Javelin thrower Evelien Dekker is a Master Food Technology student at Wageningen University. “I have been in track and field athletics since I was six years old. When I was 16, I began to specialise in spear- and discus throwing.” She caught the interest of various U.S. universities through her accomplishments at international junior competitions. She studied Food Science for four years at the University of Florida and combined her sports and study there. She became the U.S. student championships winner in javelin throwing in 2010. As a result of combining top sports with a study, Evelien cannot take a student job even though the costs of practicing this sport are considerable. Evelien is very happy with the contribution she receives from the Fund Niels Smith.

Evelien gives shot put- and discus training to young athletes between 12-17 years old. “I hope the top in the Dutch javelin throw can convince the Dutch Athletics Association to invest more money in this wonderful element of track and field.”

Establishment of the fund

Niels Smith was a talented soccer player, sportsmanlike and very involved. His attitude was one that could turn a losing game into a winning attitude so his team would not only come close, but would actually win the game. That small push in the right direction was all that was needed.

Niels always knew when to give that extra impulse, no matter how small. His death, chosen by himself at 15 years of age, was an enormous blow. The impulse was gone. Something had to be done with the energy that Niels gave to sports during his short life. Of this his mother, Marianne Remmers, was immediately convinced.

His ‘sports energy’ must live on in one form or another and Marianne decided to create the Fund Niels Smith in his memory. A fund that provides sporters with that ‘small impulse’ to help them fulfil their dreams.

Marianne says, “My dream is to support talented Wageningen- or Van Hall Larenstein sporters in their specific sports programme, within or outside of the Netherlands. I would also like to support foreign top sporters who choose to combine a study at Wageningen University or Van Hall Larenstein with their sports programme.”