Maarten van der Weijden
Just a few years after recovering from leukaemia, swimmer Maarten van der Weijden won Olympic gold. He reveals the techniques and mindset that got him through his darkest days.
When Maarten van der Weijden was diagnosed with leukaemia at the age of 19, he thought it was not only the end of his sporting career, but his life. According to Maarten, he was a βlazyβ patient and didnβt βwin a fightβ against cancer; he says he survived simply because he was βluckyβ. But having been given a second chance at life, he was determined to make the most of it.
Just a few years after recovering from cancer, Maarten won open-water swimming gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He reveals the techniques and mindset that got him through his darkest days, and the significance of setting goals in order to achieve things, whether that be in sport or life.
He retired from competitive swimming after winning Olympic and World championship gold in 2008, and dedicated himself to raising funds for other leukaemia sufferers by completing the most severe of swimming challenges. So far, he has raised more than $15 million.
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Broadcasts
- Wed 9 Jun 2021 03:32GMTΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except Australasia, East Asia & South Asia
- Wed 9 Jun 2021 04:32GMTΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Australasia, South Asia & East Asia only
- Wed 9 Jun 2021 10:32GMTΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ World Service
- Wed 9 Jun 2021 21:32GMTΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except Europe and the Middle East
- Wed 9 Jun 2021 22:32GMTΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Europe and the Middle East
- Sat 12 Jun 2021 01:32GMTΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ World Service East Asia
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The stories behind the medals. Find out what it takes to get to the Games