Era ends for one of our finest rowers

The Netherlands have just seen one of their most consistent achievers hang up her competition oars. Single and double sculler Marit van Eupen has retired. Van Eupen finished her rowing career by earning the first Olympic gold medal for Dutch women, along with lightweight doubles partner, Kirsten van der Kolk.

Van Eupen started her international rowing career relatively late but still went through three Olympic Games and earned three World Championship titles. She currently holds the most prestigious Dutch award for single scullers, ’De Gouden Riem’, the Golden Oar.

Now six months pregnant, van Eupen splits her time between her home in Amsterdam and time in Italy where her former coach and now husband Josy Verdonkschot coaches the Italian women scullers.

World Rowing asked the big question: why retire?

“In 2007, before the Olympics in Beijing I always felt that I was already ready for retirement. It is only because Kirsten (van der Kolk) said that we could make a comeback (in the lightweight double) and she believed it was possible. For me, I had to think about it for quite a while as I was already satisfied with my career and enjoyed being in the single (Van Eupen won the lightweight single in 2005, 2006 and 2007).

I knew what we would have to do (to compete at Beijing) and I’m happy we did it. We worked our asses off but in the right way. I knew then that I was not going to do this for another four years. Also it’s so physically demanding. In 2009 I spent a lot of time recovering from that demand. I had some big back problems running up to Beijing. Then in April 2009 I fell off my bike and that was more or less the end of my rowing career. Everything is fine now. .”

World Rowing: Have you done any racing since Beijing?
Marit van Eupen: I didn’t really plan to race last season. I was open to possibilities, but it didn’t happen. After the Olympics you can have a mental switch and say ‘ok I quit’ or say ‘I’ll see’. Last summer I was helping coach (with Josy in Italy) and enjoying life and I didn’t miss competing at the highest level. Now I’m pregnant.

WR: Do you row now for fun?
MvE: Yes, until half way through my pregnancy, then it was winter and not comfortable. When you have had an active life, you still want to do something but with rowing I have to be careful. You need core strength and that’s not so good when you’re pregnant. So I am cycling and swimming. I would sink a boat right now (laughs).

WR: What do you miss most about being an elite rower?
MvE: I don’t miss the competition. I must admit I miss having a goal to train for, in rowing I loved having a goal. Without a goal the weather must be very nice for me to enjoy it. If there’s no goal it’s less exciting. Now for me it’s about finding a new motivation, but I’m not looking for that at the moment.

WR: What are your best memories?
MvE: The people you meet, the people you’re competing with and also rowing partners and the shared experiences and I also had good results. I was a moderate athlete. I had to work hard and learn a lot. We raced against the German double 33 times between 2000 and 2004 and lost to them 32 times – winning that one time was very sweet!

WR: and the highlight of your career?
MvE: Receiving the Golden Oar. It goes to single scullers only and is given from the owner. The owner decides who is worth it. It is very, very special. I can’t describe how special it was. Medals are great, but this is special. There are certain rules in handing it on, you must be at least a World Champion.

WR: And what about your worst time?
MvE: Many, many (laughs). I’m not a natural talent, physically or in terms of technique. I worked hard and felt tired all of the time. It’s not that I felt miserable all of the time, but it takes a lot of energy. I didn’t want to quit after the Olympics in 2004 because I’d just finished a year of really hard work. It was not the feeling that I wanted to take into retirement. So I wanted to keep going and have some time enjoying it.

WR: How did you get started in rowing and how long did you think you’d stay in the sport?
MvE: I started by coincidence. At university I was looking for the sailing club and I couldn’t find it. I ran into a group of people having a barbecue and they were from the rowing club. I joined in and became the cox. I enjoyed it but after a couple of years I thought I’d like to see if I could do better as a rower.
It took me a while to learn how to row properly. The big breakthrough for me came in 1998, I was in a training group with girls from different clubs and I started to improve quickly. In 1999 I went to the world champs in the single and I thought I was already really old (29 years old) and so this would be it. But then I won the domestic competition to be in the lightweight double for the 2000 Olympics. Then we got in the final at the Olympics, so I decided to go for another four years.
I’m amazed that I made it so far.

WR: What was your biggest indulgence following your Beijing medal?
MvE: We had a series of really good races at Beijing and we were feeling quite confident. We were at our best level. If someone was better then that’s fine, but we were feeling very confident. After 500 metres in the final I already knew that we were going to win. I also knew that Kirsten knew as well. Without any words we felt we would do it. At 1500 metres we were enjoying everything. It was such a special race, we had the possibility of being in the zone and still enjoy everything that happened.

Afterwards there were lots of people and questions and I was just happy and I was unable to explain that to people. Immediately after the race was my happiest moment, then we got all of this attention and I couldn’t handle it. Maybe it wasn’t the amount of attention, but more that I was in a different zone. It takes a while for me to get back into the normal world, I feel like an alien. After the race in Beijing, it took a little longer.

The feeling during the race was my biggest indulgence.

WR: Do you plan to stay involved with rowing?
MvE: As a volunteer with Italy, helping out Josy. I was the team manager for the team last month at the FISA Team Cup. I also volunteer at my club (Nereus in Amsterdam), but it’s difficult because I live in two countries. But I’ll never really be away from rowing.

WR: Have you openly announced your retirement?
MvE: The Dutch Federation knows, but that’s it.

WR: Thank you Marit, is there anything that you’d like to add?
MvE: Thank you everyone that I’ve competed with and raced. Thank you World Rowing. Many people make it possible to do competitive rowing and every now and then we need to be aware of this.

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