Anne Van Dam from the Netherlands is supporting the European Week of Sport and the #BeActive campaign, initiated by the European Commission and is committed to promoting the benefits of an active lifestyle and physical activity. The 2016 Xiamen International Open champion feels that being active in other sports helps her to perform even better in golf. Read more about her philosophy.
Who got you into sport and what sports did you try when you were younger?
My parents introduced me to sport, but me and my sister were always really competitive together and in our spare time we always held matches in different sports, like tennis, swimming, biking, table tennis and badminton and always with points at stake, so we always had a winner and we both always wanted to win.
What parts of sport makes you happy?
Being active! It’s so nice to have a free mind and be totally into the sport you are playing and let go of everything else. For me, especially outdoor sports, I love to be outside and enjoy playing sports together with nature: golf is pretty perfect for that!
Besides golf, what sports do you do actively and why?
I love to ride my road and mountain bike. We have a big protected nature area close to my home (the Veluwe) and it’s just beautiful to go out early for a bike ride. Other than that, just working out in the gym!
What does the #beactive campaign mean to you and why do you support the campaign?
It means a lot. I think being active is really important for everyone, even if you have a busy job. Taking time to work on your physical health will benefit your mental health, and that includes everyone!
How do you use your position to help and inspire other people to have an active lifestyle?
I love being active myself and I try to encourage others to be active and work out together. If you practice sports together, you inspire each other to perform better and it will more fun as well.
Has your active lifestyle helped you to overcome a problem?
If I have a lot on my mind, I love to take my bike and go for a ride, put on some music and enjoy the moment of being outside and letting go of everything else.
