Triathlete Pim Bakker can count on the support of Reggeborgh Foundation
Reggeborgh Foundation means a great deal to triathlete Pim Bakker, who was recently accepted into the Groene Appeltjes Programme. “Thanks to Reggeborgh’s financial support, I can now take the final step and start competing internationally. I am very grateful for that,” says the ambitious triathlete.
Like Reggeborgh, Pim Bakker (24) has his roots in Rijssen. He started out in athletics there on the AV Rijssen track and, as a teenager, trained with David Hutten’s MILA squad. “Back then, I also wore Reggeborgh logo on my chest, just as I did later at Argo Wierden. It’s really great that they’re supporting me again now,” explains Bakker. “I’m not a world champion – not yet, anyway – but I’m glad they recognise talent too.”
His ultimate goal? “A gold medal at the Olympic Games. I don’t know if that’s achievable. But I’m going to give it my all to make it happen.”
The next step in Bakker’s career is to score points on the international circuit. Starting with the World Triathlon in Egypt (16 February 2026), followed by competitions in Spain, Portugal and Italy, amongst others. But Bakker will also be in action closer to home. His favourite is the Triathlon in Holten. “That’s really my race. I’ve won it several times, though I haven’t yet won the ETU Cup at international level.”
Bakker, who now lives in Arnhem, has tremendous drive. “That’s partly because I’ve always had to do a lot on my own.” It has made him independent; the triathlete has been living on his own since he was seventeen. “I’ve always worked hard to fund my sport, because triathlon is an expensive sport,” says Bakker, who still works in two sports shops and also runs his own business, ‘Pimp my Bike’. Is that really compatible with top-level sport?
“I organise my life as efficiently as possible around elite sport. I don’t have a coach or a club; I do everything myself. I’ve developed my own method and found a good way to make progress. It’s still working; I haven’t hit the ceiling yet.”
- Pim Bakker
Reggeborgh Foundation is proud to be able to support Pim. “He’s a truly enterprising athlete – he trains and works full-time – he’s motivated and a real go-getter. We’re looking forward to cheering him on during the Triathlon in Holten,” says Inge Wessels of Reggeborgh Foundation.