May 2025 - Benthe Boonstra

Later this month, Benthe Boonstra will race for the Netherlands in the women’s single sculls at the European Rowing Championships – following an unbroken string of wins by her compatriot Karolien Florijn in this boat class. But as an Olympic and world champion, Boonstra is no stranger to success. She is the Rower of the Month.

How did you get into rowing?

My brother was a rower at a student club in Leiden, and he always spoke a lot about rowing. I thought it sounded pretty interesting. Then I had to go on a summer camp and I could choose between a sailing camp and a rowing camp and I’d already been on a sailing camp, so I thought I’d give the rowing camp a try – I was 16 or something. That was pretty fun. Then my brother arranged a little single’s training in a really big boat, and then I joined a club.

I played tennis quite a lot and then they emailed me, ‘do you want to do competition rowing?’ I made a pluses and minuses list for tennis and rowing, and rowing won. I decided I wanted to do race rowing because I don’t do things halfway. I never regretted my decision.

What do you think the sport has brought you so far?

A lot. It’s the big passion in my life. It also brings routine and working towards a goal with a whole team, that’s something I really love, and also the places you get to go is amazing.

And improving yourself and just not thinking about anything else. Doing it next to studying or something, you don’t think about anything, just becoming a little bit better every time.

You won gold in Paris in the women’s four by less than 0.2 seconds. What was that race like?

It was pretty crazy. I thought I’d already had my peak nervousness at worlds, but this was a different level, I didn’t know I could feel that way. But after five minutes of the warm-up I got into the zone and was really excited.

I do remember the last 300 metres pretty well. The British were steaming towards us and that’s when I thought ‘they’re going to catch us’, and then I thought ‘no they’re not’, and I just have to focus on my rowing and putting more into it and not looking around.

At the finish I kind of knew we’d got them but I just couldn’t believe it. It didn’t really sink in, and I was like ‘did we win? Did we win?’ My teammates were already kind of celebrating, and one of them pointed towards the board where it was ‘Netherlands: 1’. I saw it, and then I believed it.

What was the rest of the Olympic Games like?

We were not in the Olympic village which was better because you got to be in your bubble a little bit more. Afterwards we got to go to the Olympic village, and experience all the craziness. There’s so much more media and also the whole country is celebrating when you win, which is kind of cool because rowing isn’t that big in the Netherlands. Suddenly everybody was watching and we felt really united. It was really amazing – I want to go back.

What has been the impact of the Netherlands’ rowing success in Paris in terms of the sport’s visibility?

I think it helped for a little while, but I don’t know if it’s still helping now. Visibility went up because we were a big part of the medals, so it helps that rowing’s pretty big and they’re doing pretty well. It is pretty big with the students, but just for normal Dutch people I don’t know if it’s grown that much. I hope it will.

How does it feel to be stepping back into the single, after competing at the 2021 World Under 23 Rowing Championships in it?

It’s a whole different experience, but we’re in the single quite a lot in the winter, so it didn’t fall out of nowhere. I didn’t expect to go that fast at the nationals. It’s just really cool because I really love the single. It’s also a mental game, it’s just you doing everything. It’s also a bit more stressful because you can’t share your emotions, but I think it’s a really big opportunity and a learning lesson for my rowing career.

I hope I can grow even more in the single compared to the nationals, but also I think sometimes it would be cool to be in a team again. It has its own pluses.

What are your hopes for the European championships?

Someone asked if I felt pressure to fill Karolien’s spot, but I’m a different person. I hope to learn a lot and row my best race.

If I get a medal that would be amazing, but I don’t really know the singles field. I don’t know the people and it’s starting from zero. Also with the whole team, everyone’s new and starting from point zero and see where you end up. I just hope to row a really good race.

What’s your favourite session (on or off the water)?

A short sprint session with just enough rest in between that you’re fully energised for the next sprint. Six by 20 strokes or something. I really love it, because 20 strokes is so short that you don’t really fatigue that much.

What’s on the erg playlist?

It depends on the session, but if it’s a hard one, I’d say something techno.

Where is your favourite place to row?

I think Bled is really pretty, but so many places are nice.

What would you have been if you weren’t a rower?

Maybe a basketballer or something. Sometimes I think ‘why didn’t I choose volleyball or basketball, why am I putting myself through so much pain?’ Or perhaps I would have continued playing tennis – or ice-skating is also really cool.

What’s the best piece of advice anyone’s ever given you?

Just enjoy what you do, but that’s more advice I would give to younger rowers. Just enjoy it and not think too much that I have to do this, or I have to do this: just enjoy it and it will come.