Haarlemmermeer is a breeding ground for talent and elite sport, and through CTS GROUP Young Talents, we want to provide promising athletes with extra support to help them reach the highest level. One of those talents is Féline. She is 16 years old and has been practicing artistic swimming since she was six. In the meantime, she has combined her passion for artistic swimming with competitive swimming and surfing.
From talent development centre to international competitions
At the age of eleven, Féline was selected for the TeamNL talent development centre. A year later, she joined the competition squad, where she initially mainly trained alongside the team. Later, she was given the opportunity to compete internationally as part of a team and in several duets. A particularly special highlight came last summer. Competing in the mixed duet, Féline finished tenth at the World Junior Championships in Athens.
Learning from other athletes
Féline joined CTS GROUP Young Talents because she was curious about the experiences of other athletes and wanted to learn from different sports. “I wanted to take part in the Young Talents programme to hear about and experience the sporting journeys of other athletes. I also found the workshops very interesting and useful. I try to learn as much as possible from others so that I can become increasingly confident in making my own decisions about my sporting career.”
Focus on solo
At the moment, Féline’s main focus is on the solo event. She wants to develop herself to the fullest in this discipline and hopes to achieve podium finishes at various international competitions. She also has a regular duet partner, Alara Yapar. Together, they became Dutch champions last season in both the junior and senior categories, in both the free duet and technical duet events. From this season onwards, Féline will receive additional support from Manon Masseurs during her dryland training sessions, helping her to continue her development.
A full week of training
An average week for Féline consists of around seven training sessions. Four or five of these are focused on artistic swimming, she has one or two competitive swimming sessions, and at least one dryland training session. Her artistic swimming sessions last an average of three to four hours. In addition, Féline has been competing in swimming since last year and has been surfing for the past two summers.
Dreaming of the Olympic Games
Féline has a clear dream for the future: the Olympic Games. “My ultimate dream is, of course, to compete at the Olympic Games!” To make that dream a reality, she continues to develop her skills, gain new experiences and learn from the people around her. For now, she is focusing on her development in the solo event and looking forward to new international competitions.
