The strongest man at Wageningen UR: you must be feeling proud! ‘That must be clear, haha! It was fun to take part, what with tasks like car pulling and ‘stones of strength’. A guy I train with told me about the competition and I thought, ‘What the heck, I’ll just join it.’ I had never trained for these kinds of exercises, but it was quite easy. Two of the tasks were really a walkover.’
Was it an easy victory?
‘I had some good competition from two of the guys. The nicest tasks were those in which you were in direct combat with each other. The log lift ended up being a contest between me and Jan Thys Loopik. Then I knew I had to give it all I’d got. I think actually there were guys who are stronger than I am or have a better technique. Sometimes you just have to get lucky.’ No doubt you are weightlifting every day to keep in shape? ‘I really enjoy working out at the fitness club after a day of studying, but it shouldn’t be more than a hobby. I go to the fitness club three to five times a week, purely to keep fit. Usually with friends, because then you can help each other with the weights.’ Are you going to defend your title next year? ‘You bet! But for now, the trophy is sitting pretty in my room.’