Melvin Twellaar (NED) - Rising Star, June 2019

Rising Star – June 2019

Twenty-two year old Dutch sculler Melvin Twellaar’s stepping up in 2019.  He’s making the transition to senior rowing after a great 2018 where he won silver in the double at the World Rowing Under 23 Championships.  He tells us about the change and what’s next.

This year I… joined the Dutch sculling team.  It’s a big transition, since the standard is very high. I’m learning a lot from the team. As a result, the races I rowed this year are better than last year’s races.

The main differences are… firstly, I had to move to Amsterdam.  There is a heavier training schedule and I train with a larger group. I used to train in a group of three and now there are eight of us. I enjoy training side-by-side with someone every day.

I used to play… hockey till I was 12. My brother was already rowing at the local rowing club. His coach invited my twin brother and me to try the sport. I liked rowing from the start. First, I wanted to beat my brother. After three years I succeeded.

I stuck with rowing because… it was very challenging in the single. You are on your own and solely responsible for your performances. Also, you are never done working on your rowing technique.

My family is… very supportive and proud!

My biggest rowing dream is… winning a gold medal at the Olympic Games.

My favourite training is… interval training.

But I’m not so into…indoor cycling in the winter.  It is very endless and boring.

On race day I… wake up six hours before the race. After that I have a quick row to wake up. Two hours before the race I am on the course to start focusing on the race. In between I am mostly resting and listening to music.

My favourite rowing moment was… winning a silver medal with Stef Broenink in Piediluco this year. It was my first real race in my new team.

I row full time but… I’m willing to combine studying and rowing in the future.

For fun I… hang out with friends, go cycling, and when I’m tired watch a film or a movie.