BN / De Stem - March 9, 2010
At the ‘Mac’ only a bowl of fruit and some fish
Sports
By Peter van Bergen
Because Richio Ruiten attends to primary school ‘t Kantoor, he is still in old fashioned class 5 in stead of group 7. Richio, who is 10 years old and lives in Patersven-Wernhout, loves to calculate, is bored with bible-study class and the mothers who keep an eye on the children during break-time are very strict.
When he is 2 years and a few months old he is already on the skis. By he end of February of this year he is third at the NK slalom. Now Richio is sure: “I want to be a professional skier”, he says, “and also go to the Olympic Games.” “Fortunately we have only one son”, mother Anja says. She counts the many Euro’s that are involved with the ski-sport. She also sees the pent-up rage that Richio puts into it. Daily training sessions, summer and winter in the sports-school Better Bodies where he even has a personal coach. Weekly trips to the artificial snow of Landgraaf or Zoetermeer, regularly changed with tours to Austria.
“I am at Snowsport Academy Racing”, he tells proudly. With SAR he skies in the Alps during fall and Christmas holidays and occasionally on school days. “The school helps a lot”, says Anja Ruiten. “He makes it up perfectly.” Later on there will also be trips to Slovenia, Andorra and France.
That is why he diligently follows his training program. Cycling, spinning and running are a part of that. “In a little while I run the City-Pier-City again”, he knows, a 5 km run for keeping his stamina up.
Richio sticks to a balanced diet. “With a breakfast of oatmeal, currants and honey he leaves the house in the morning”, his mother states. During midday break at school he eats brown bread, grapes and tomatoes. Further Richio mentions the pasta’s and occasional pizza. “But only when my mother prepares that herself.” Is he never dreaming of a ‘Big Mac’ with French fries? “No”, he denies. “ I sometimes visit McDonalds, but there I only order a bowl of fruit and some fish.”
What he likes about skiing? “The speed”, he exclaims. “And of course the technique.” A short time he played soccer with VV Zundert. Richio: “I quickly stopped. My father said I'd better kick my own shins”. Richio is training for steps higher. That means going down faster. “Later I can do giant slalom and descent”, he says, “right now I am too young for that.” And after Primary School to the Topsportschool in Antwerp, he already knows.
Richio is dreaming about Olympic glory and yet the gold medal of Nicole Sauerbreij does not inspire him with awe. Mother Anja explains: “For a skier snowboarding is the same as cursing.” -
By Peter van Bergen
Because Richio Ruiten attends to primary school ‘t Kantoor, he is still in old fashioned class 5 in stead of group 7. Richio, who is 10 years old and lives in Patersven-Wernhout, loves to calculate, is bored with bible-study class and the mothers who keep an eye on the children during break-time are very strict.
When he is 2 years and a few months old he is already on the skis. By he end of February of this year he is third at the NK slalom. Now Richio is sure: “I want to be a professional skier”, he says, “and also go to the Olympic Games.” “Fortunately we have only one son”, mother Anja says. She counts the many Euro’s that are involved with the ski-sport. She also sees the pent-up rage that Richio puts into it. Daily training sessions, summer and winter in the sports-school Better Bodies where he even has a personal coach. Weekly trips to the artificial snow of Landgraaf or Zoetermeer, regularly changed with tours to Austria.
“I am at Snowsport Academy Racing”, he tells proudly. With SAR he skies in the Alps during fall and Christmas holidays and occasionally on school days. “The school helps a lot”, says Anja Ruiten. “He makes it up perfectly.” Later on there will also be trips to Slovenia, Andorra and France.
That is why he diligently follows his training program. Cycling, spinning and running are a part of that. “In a little while I run the City-Pier-City again”, he knows, a 5 km run for keeping his stamina up.
Richio sticks to a balanced diet. “With a breakfast of oatmeal, currants and honey he leaves the house in the morning”, his mother states. During midday break at school he eats brown bread, grapes and tomatoes. Further Richio mentions the pasta’s and occasional pizza. “But only when my mother prepares that herself.” Is he never dreaming of a ‘Big Mac’ with French fries? “No”, he denies. “ I sometimes visit McDonalds, but there I only order a bowl of fruit and some fish.”
What he likes about skiing? “The speed”, he exclaims. “And of course the technique.” A short time he played soccer with VV Zundert. Richio: “I quickly stopped. My father said I'd better kick my own shins”. Richio is training for steps higher. That means going down faster. “Later I can do giant slalom and descent”, he says, “right now I am too young for that.” And after Primary School to the Topsportschool in Antwerp, he already knows.
Richio is dreaming about Olympic glory and yet the gold medal of Nicole Sauerbreij does not inspire him with awe. Mother Anja explains: “For a skier snowboarding is the same as cursing.” -
