Better every day

“When you are at the top of the ranking, there is no one you can mirror yourself against and push against to better yourself. I therefore learned to discover what I can improve about myself. I strive to be better every day.”  

Esther Vergeer has been at the top of wheelchair tennis for ten years now. In the past few years, Esther won several Paralympic gold medals and various single and double titles. According to Esther, her success is a testament to her perseverance and discipline. “I’m always eager to learn new things every day. Not just in the field of tennis, but also personally. That eagerness is part of who I am, but my surroundings have influenced me too. Becoming paralysed was also difficult for my parents and brother. But from the very beginning, they focused on what I could do and encouraged and stimulated me. We did not throw in the towel. That has shaped me into who I am today.”
Esther Vergeer (1981) became wheelchair-ridden when she was eight years old. Due to a blood vessel defect around her spinal cord, Esther suffered three brain haemorrhages when she was just a child. In order to defuse this ticking time bomb in her body she had to undergo risky surgery. As a result, some good blood vessels were damaged, causing Esther to develop paraplegia.

“During rehabilitation I learned to play tennis in a wheelchair. When you’re young, all you want to do is play and be active, but playing tag wasn’t an option. Tennis and basketball were. I enjoyed it, also because I could do sports in a safe environment where everyone was handicapped.”
At the age of 12, Esther joined an association. She was spotted by the national coach when she was 14. He encouraged her to start training and compete in tournaments. At the time, Esther was not familiar with the Paralympic Games or world ranking list. “The turning point was winning the 1998 US Open. The Paralympics were scheduled to take place two years from then. I reckoned that if I started training seriously, I might have a shot at competing.” She won a gold medal.

Judging by the amount of emails she receives, Esther has grown into a role model for many people, both with and without a handicap. “I never pursued that role, but the status that comes with it has helped me to raise awareness for my cause. I would like more appreciation for disabled sports and for disabled children to start practising sports. It will do them good!”

Esther also owns a company that focuses on sports marketing. Her goal is to put a mix of sports and top-class sports, practised by both able-bodied and disabled athletes on the map, and by doing so, generating more positive publicity for disabled athletes. Esther will also keep playing sports. Next year, she intends to win her sixth gold medal in London