Meet… Lina-Elise Berger

The Vechtsportautoriteit (Dutch Martial Arts Authority) consists of a board, a supervisory board and an office. They are advised by committees made up of people from the field. In this series we show which people are actually involved in the substantive work of the VA.

Each of the VA committees focuses on a specific theme:

– Events and galas
– Medical and health
– Quality and licences
– Technical matters
– Communication

In addition to these committees, the VA has also had an Athletes' Council (Sportersraad) for a number of months now. It consists of around ten athletes, from recreational participants to world-class competitors, who provide advice, both on request and on their own initiative, from the athlete's perspective. The committee member we present this time is Lina-Elise Berger.

'Because of my eldest daughter, now 15, who had been kickboxing for some time and also fought competitively, I was lured into a parent-child class at the end of 2019. I was immediately enthusiastic. As a newbie, a technique class felt like too big a step. So I started with bag training first. In the summer of 2020 I put on the shin guards as well and started working on technique and sparring.'

'Our regular trainer Fred de Weij opened his own gym in Amsterdam: Freddy's Gym. He asked who would like to fight a recreational bout. With some nerves and really very limited sparring experience, I was enthusiastic and went for it wholeheartedly. Unfortunately the bout did not take place, as my opponent withdrew the day before.'

'I am active on the mat 5 to 6 hours a week. Every day I am happy again when I get to put on the gloves. I work as a professional confidential adviser (vertrouwenspersoon) for specific target groups at five organisations in Amsterdam. It involves a lot of complex thinking and being constantly alert. Kickboxing allows me to relax mentally, despite the physical effort it obviously requires. It lets me start the day with a clear head.'

'Apart from that, I mainly have a lot of fun with the lovely people I train with. So it also has great social value for me. I see what this sport can add, how much you can learn about yourself and your own limits. And besides, I like being super fit at forty.'

'My trainer pointed out the vacancy for the VA Athletes' Council to me. I was immediately enthusiastic. In addition to my kickboxing instructor certificate and the classes I occasionally teach at the gym to support my trainer, I have also obtained my NOC*NSF certificate as a confidential contact person in sport (vertrouwenscontactpersoon in de sport). I consider it an honour to be able to contribute to the further professionalisation of martial arts in the Netherlands.'

'Oh yes, and my daughter? She still beats me every time.'

Earlier in this series:

Meet… Fabrice Deters
Meet… Richard van Asdonck
Meet… Raimond Honig
Meet… Soeresh Bhatoe
Meet… Samart Prins
Meet… Marjan de Roos
Meet… Hanieh van Vilsteren Kamran
Meet… Hassan Ziani
Meet… Stefan Berkenpas