After taking time off, Lieke Wevers feels like she can finally come back to gymnastics. She talked to Lisa Deen of The Force is Grace about the burnout she experienced after the Olympics and how she managed to overcome it.
Translation by Elisabeth
Lieke has found her passion again and is focusing on her comeback. The past few months, Lieke Wevers has been quietly working on her comeback to the highest level. Her passion for gymnastics is back and several goals have been set. Coming back at the Dutch National Championships is the first hurdle on the road to Tokyo 2020. The World Championships, where qualification for the Olympic Games is at stake, is the next goal.
Q: Where are you at now?
A: Last autumn, I was able to lay a good foundation, physically. Mentally I was also settling down. I slowly got the feeling that I was getting my energy back, my fitness level was rising and that made it possible for me to start thinking about the future. Being out for over a year was a necessity, of course.
In the end, I wanted to be able to decide for myself which way to go once I felt better. Of course, I hoped that the love and passion for the sport would return. Because I really lost that for a while.
Q: How come that passion was lost?
A: I had achieved my biggest dream: going to the Olympics. It made me incredibly happy. But it also felt strange. You always have goals on the road to your dream. You can cross those goals off your list when you reach them, but the dream still stands. Then, I was able to actually cross my dream off my list. It was a strange feeling. I had to rediscover myself, but also my goals. See what I still wanted. The joy and passion are back. I can look towards the future again with excitement.
Q: Were you afraid it was just gone?
A: That was my biggest fear and, at the same time, my biggest hope was that it was still in there, somewhere. I hoped to be able to experience the sport again the way I did when I was a child. Unprejudiced, with a beginner’s mind, I got started. Slowly I discovered the passion was still there and I could start moving forward. After that first starting phase, you regularly reach a kind of threshold. It puts your motivation to the test a little. Every step forward brings new challenges. Sometimes they can be pretty hard. I’ve had moments of doubt, but you just have to work through them. I wanted to give it another shot and that means dealing with everything that goes along with it.
Q: What was it like to get back to the gym?
A: At the end of last year, Sanne and I went to Greece. I had completed my physical trajectory and it was time to go back into the gym. From there, everything went pretty fast.
Q: What did you find most difficult?
A: It’s been quite a lonely road. When I was out, but also the way back in. No one but myself could tell me what was right for me. I really have to listen to myself and certainly not rush anything.
Q: Have things changed?
A: Actually, my mindset in the gym is completely different. Something really has changed. I’m able to enjoy every day again. It doesn’t depend on the results of that day. I enjoy all the steps I’m taking. Every day gives me the chance to build towards the things I love to do. Most importantly, I’m healthy again. I cherish that. It’s so valuable to be able to do everything with joy and satisfaction. Before, I used to set the bar super high for myself: at the end, it felt like a struggle for survival. I now get to enjoy the sport a lot more.
Q: What’s your most important goal right now?
A: My comeback at Dutch Nationals, in Ahoy. But I will only do it if I’m truly ready. It’s not ‘no matter what’ anymore. But I’m still ambitious: I’ll aim for the highest possible goal.
Q: Do you ever think about Stuttgart WC?
A: It’s definitely on my mind. Those kinds of competitions really trigger me. I have great memories of the 2015 WC where we managed to secure our team’s ticket to the Olympics. I know what it’s like to have a victory like that with the team. This year
Q: So Tokyo 2020 is still in the picture?
A: Yes, of course. It would be so awesome if we are able to qualify
