Reggeborgh Foundation supports elite athletes Sanne Wevers and Jennette Jansen

Sanne Wevers

Elite gymnast Sanne Wevers (32) wants to shine at the Olympics one more time. After a period away from the sport, she returned to the pinnacle of her sport this year, winning gold on the beam at the European Championships in Antalya (Turkey) in April and finishing fourth at the World Championships in Antwerp in October. ‘I’m extremely happy with the Reggeborgh Foundation's support. It allows me to set up the Olympic year in the best possible way,’ said the gymnast with Twente roots. The passion for gymnastics did not disappear even in her gap year. Wevers decided to go all out one more time for the Paris Olympics. ‘The Reggeborgh Foundation is a strong partner on this journey. I also really like the fact that together we have the ambition to make an impact on a social level as well. We believe in the power of sport,’ said Wevers, who made history in 2016 by becoming the first Dutch gymnast to win Olympic gold. The support will allow her to go on training camps abroad and train on the same beam that will soon be used in the Paris arena.

Jennette Jansen

Jennette Jansen from Westerhaar won her first gold medal at the 1988 Paralympics in Seoul. She took no fewer than three golds there as a wheelchair racer. Jansen won her fourth gold medal at the Tokyo Games in 2021. As a hand cyclist, she won the road race, while picking up a bronze medal in the time trial. The Paralympics in Paris will be her eighth Games. ‘And they will really be my last,’ Jansen (55) said laughingly. Earlier, the hand cyclist from Twente competed at the Paralympics in the disciplines of athletics (wheelchair racing) and wheelchair basketball. Thanks to support from the Reggeborgh Foundation, she will be able to go on a training camp and head for Paris with a new custom-made handbike. ‘How wonderful that this came my way. I consider it a great honour that I can end my sporting career with such a great companion like the Reggeborgh Foundation,’ said Jansen, who is one of the contenders in the road race in Paris. ‘I'm going for gold.’

The special collaboration arose last summer when both athletes separately entered into talks with the Reggeborgh Foundation. ‘Independently, Sanne and Jennette shared their ultimate dream of giving their all one last time for their final Games,’ explained Inge Wessels. ‘The parallels in their stories are striking. They are two strong women from the Twente region, whose years of dedication, highs and lows mean they are still performing at the very highest level.’ This planted the seed that grew into a plan to join forces. Wessels: ‘The fact that Sanne and Jennette embody both Olympic and Paralympic sports makes them a golden duo for us as ambassadors for the sport. And not just for us. Their personal motivation and resilience can be an inspiration to many. And, of course, we are extremely proud that both elite athletes are part of our Reggeborgh 'athletes family'. We will follow them closely and wish them every success on their way to Paris,’ said Wessels.