Para-athlete Kiki Hendriks supported by Reggeborgh Foundation
Thanks to a chance encounter with Inge Wessels and Maaike Heethaar from Reggeborgh Foundation in Papendal, Kiki Hendriks has been accepted into the Groene Appeltjes programme. They hit it off immediately. ‘I am happy with the financial support, which makes it easier for me to pay for my sport. But I am especially proud of the whole picture. We recently had the Reggeborgh Foundation BBQ and it feels like one big warm family. It's nice to be part of that,’ says para-athlete Kiki Hendriks.
Hendriks (24) competes in two events: the 100 metres and the long jump. In 2022, she moved from Roosendaal to Amsterdam to train full-time with a top team. A year later, she made her debut in the 100 metres at the World Championships in Paris, where she finished fourth. ‘That was really surprising and something I never dared to dream of.’ The following year, she again finished fourth at the World Championships in Kobe, Japan. ‘I was a little less happy with that result.’ At the Paralympic Games in Paris last year, she again finished fourth as a long jumper. She was a reserve for the 100 metres.
Amputation
As a two-year-old girl, Kiki contracted meningococcal disease during a holiday in the Ardennes. At home, the family doctor initially thought it was the flu. "My mother didn't trust it, and I was rushed to the hospital in Utrecht. I was in a coma there for three weeks. My parents had to say goodbye to me several times, that's how bad my condition was,‘ Kiki was told afterwards. ’Unfortunately, my left lower leg, right hand and fingers of my left hand were too badly affected by the bacteria and had to be amputated."
Kiki underwent several operations on her other leg, during which a nerve was damaged in 2015. In 2018, it was decided to amputate her right lower leg as well.
‘My parents thought it was important for all their children to play sports, so I did too.’
- Kiki Hendriks
Athletics
She has always played sports. ‘My parents thought it was important for all their children to play sports, so I did too.’ Kiki played hockey, rode horses and did athletics. When she was being fitted for a new blade, she saw Team Para Athletics training on the athletics track and they asked her to join them. That worked out very well; training once every two weeks quickly turned into twice a week. From 2022, she will be training full-time alongside her studies in orthopaedic technology. The goal for this year is clear: Hendriks wants to qualify for the World Championships in New Delhi (India) at the end of September in both the 100 metres and the long jump. ‘We wish Kiki every success in qualifying for the World Championships,’ says Inge Wessels of Reggeborgh Foundation. "We are very proud that she is our new Groen Appel. Kiki radiates positivity and drive and has a clear goal in mind. We are happy to support that. Moreover, Kiki is very motivated to inspire children with disabilities. A true ambassador for athletics and youth," says Inge Wessels.
