Growing up in the Netherlands, I started to get into football at a fairly young age. I was passionate about the game and being part of a team, which not only gave me a purpose, it also taught me discipline and respect for others.
I looked up to big players like Kluivert, Bergkamp, Seedorf and many others that were part of Ajax’s Golden Generation of the mid 90’s.
All those athletes had a common feature, the winners mentality, making them one of the most memorable football generations ever.
Every school day during the breaks, we would play a 5 vs 5 football game in the school’s playground. This was the time to shine, impress your fellow classmates and at the same time develop that winners mentality.
At the age of 10, I moved to Brussels where I enrolled in judo as well as tennis. Also, I used to bike to school and train for multiple hours a week in several other sports.