QUINTY TON grew up in the town of Geldermalsen, a municipality of just over 10,000 people, in the Netherlands. She rode her bike to and from school every day as a child. To get to high school, the Dutch teenager had to travel to the next biggest town, Tiel, which was 11 kilometers away, meaning a 22 kilometer round trip each day.
To begin with, cycling was primarily a functional activity for the young Ton as well as an opportunity to hang out with friends. The desire to race would come a little later, but she was rarely ever standing still as a child. “It was always a fun time with friends riding to school. It was also a moment to relax before you go home,” Ton said. “I really liked to be active, and in my high school I chose to do extra sports lessons. I basically did all kinds of sports during that time.”
For the sprinters, it can be nice if I can contribute, and they come over after the race and say thank you.
Despite her active nature, Ton didn’t see herself being a professional athlete. Instead, she sought work in one of her other passions: helping people. “I never thought it was possible to earn your money with sports. I just enjoyed it, and I was never thinking more than one week ahead. When I was little, I wanted to work in the hospital to give people their casts but as I got older I turned to physio,” she said.
“I’m still interested in the human body and what it can do, and how we can make it better. I like to work with people, and especially for people, because it feels so good if you know that you helped someone to make their life a little bit better. That feeling is so rewarding.”
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