A mother of 3 children became World Champion Allround in 1970
n 1969 the Dutch Skating Association decided not to select her for the national B team although she had become 7th in the national championship. The arguments were that she was already 31 years old and a mother of three children. At that time, it was unusual that a married woman with children would go to work, let alone compete on a high level in sport events which meant to be away from home for longer periods. She and her husband decided when the children were somewhat older that should do it anyway. She pushed herself to train even harder to proof that she deserved to participate.
The next year she became Dutch champion Allround and was unavoidably sent to the world championships and became immediately world champion Allround. This success she repeated three times more. She became also 4 times Dutch champion and won 3 European champion titles. This was in short the remarkable speed skating career of Atje Keulen Deelstra. But there is more to tell about this Frisian sport woman of the 20th century.
The next year she became Dutch champion Allround and was unavoidably sent to the world championships and became immediately world champion Allround. This success she repeated three times more. She became also 4 times Dutch champion and won 3 European champion titles. This was in short the remarkable speed skating career of Atje Keulen Deelstra. But there is more to tell about this Frisian sport woman of the 20th century.
Her unique background
She was born in 1938 in the town Grouw in Friesland. In the 19th century the most popular sport for woman was “hardrijden op de schaats” which consists of races over very short distances, 140 meters. This sport continued to be popular as a traditional sport in Friesland. She participated first of all in these races. In 1949, being 11 years old, a newspaper already mentions her name as winner of such a race. At the age of 15 she became champion of Friesland in this sport. She continued to skate such races till she married the farmer Jelle Keulen and got her first child.
She got three children and after that she wanted to go back to her passion and started skating again but not in”Hardrijden” but in the new artificial skating long track Thialf in Heerenveen. She had to divide her time between working in the farm, attention her three children and training for the skating competition. She was able to do this so well that she within a short time showed the board of the Dutch Skating association that their decision in 1969 was very wrong as we have shown above.
She was born in 1938 in the town Grouw in Friesland. In the 19th century the most popular sport for woman was “hardrijden op de schaats” which consists of races over very short distances, 140 meters. This sport continued to be popular as a traditional sport in Friesland. She participated first of all in these races. In 1949, being 11 years old, a newspaper already mentions her name as winner of such a race. At the age of 15 she became champion of Friesland in this sport. She continued to skate such races till she married the farmer Jelle Keulen and got her first child.
She got three children and after that she wanted to go back to her passion and started skating again but not in”Hardrijden” but in the new artificial skating long track Thialf in Heerenveen. She had to divide her time between working in the farm, attention her three children and training for the skating competition. She was able to do this so well that she within a short time showed the board of the Dutch Skating association that their decision in 1969 was very wrong as we have shown above.
Her last world championship
She continued her short career till 1974 when the world Championships Allround were close to her home in Heereveen. Un der great enthusiasme of the Dutch public she became for the fourth time world champion "allround". There was a big feast where her husband and children also participated, but this was also the end of her career as long track speed skater. She decided that she would now spend from now on more time with her children. |
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How active can you remain through the years
This does not mean that she stopped skating. She continued with marathon skating for 10 years. There she won 61 times and became 5 times Dutch champion, for the last time in 1980 being 42.
She was very happy that she also had an opportunity in 1985 to participate in the “Elfstedentocht” , a tour of 200km to be done in one day. When she was 70 she was still skating weekly with some friends in the new covered ice rink of Thialf. But also this remarkable sports woman did not has the eternal life. She died in 2013 by a brain infarct at the age of 75.
This does not mean that she stopped skating. She continued with marathon skating for 10 years. There she won 61 times and became 5 times Dutch champion, for the last time in 1980 being 42.
She was very happy that she also had an opportunity in 1985 to participate in the “Elfstedentocht” , a tour of 200km to be done in one day. When she was 70 she was still skating weekly with some friends in the new covered ice rink of Thialf. But also this remarkable sports woman did not has the eternal life. She died in 2013 by a brain infarct at the age of 75.