Paralympic athlete Fleur Jong: 'High-performance sport is a unique life'

At the 2016 Summer Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Jong didn't make the finals in the 100-metre and 200-metre sprints. At the next summer games, in 2020 in Tokyo, she won a gold medal in the long jump. Paris will be her third Paralympic Games and she's looking forward to it: 'I'm older now and can enjoy my achievements much more, instead of worrying about what others think of me.' She's going to try for at least two medals.

Top-class athlete status

In doing so, she's putting quite a bit of pressure on herself. What does it all mean for her studies? Besides training and competing, Fleur is also studying Communication Science at the UvA. To facilitate combining athletics and studies, she has top-class athlete status. 'That means I can be more flexible with my study programme.'

'Together with my study adviser, we look at what I still need to do and when those subjects are taught. Certain periods in the year are for sports. In the summer, for example, so much happens in sports that I can't plan anything around it. Winter is the only schedulable period. That limits my options.'

'Before taking a course, I contact the lecturer to discuss my situation. I explain that there are periods when, 9 times out of 10, I won't be present. Lectures are always recorded and released for me weekly. And I look carefully at the courses I choose: if there are too many tutorials, for example, it's not feasible for me.

Sports coordinator

Besides an 'ordinary' coordinator, Jong also has a top-class sports coordinator: 'He jumps in when things get really complicated, to find a solution together with all parties. And that's a key point of the Top-Class Athletes Scheme: finding tailored solutions, because of course no two situations are the same.'

Jong plans to do a Master's after her Bachelor's in Communication Science. How she will do that depends on the timing of the big tournaments: 'Next year my big tournament will most likely be in October, but that isn't fixed yet. I can't make more than a rough plan right now.'

And after a Master's? 'My aim is to finish studying when I stop doing high-level sports. I don't have to stop studying before then. High-level sports only lasts for a short time, and it's a unique life. I'll never get that back after this.'

What is her most important tip?

'Ask for help early. That's really important. Make sure you keep in touch with all the tutors and student advisers so you think about the next year in time. There are certain deadlines, like course registration, that are fixed. You can't let those slip by. With good help, you'll be reminded.'

Read more about help for top-class athletes