Standing Up and Standing Out

Elke Forkink, Netherlands

We have teamed up with the adidas Breaking Barriers Project to share the inspiring stories of 14 Champions across Europe as they advocate for women and girls in sport within their local communities. The second instalment of this series showcases eight Champions from Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK who are advocating for the next generation of women in sport. Elke Forkink is an adidas Breaking Barriers Champion and a neighbourhood sports coach for Johan Cruyff Foundation in Waalwijk, Netherlands. 

Want to join us in breaking barriers for women and girls in Europe? Join the adidas Breaking Barriers Academy.

My name is Elke Forkink, and I live in Waalkwijk in the pleasant south of the Netherlands. I have worked as a community sports coach for the organisation BeweegBuro in the municipality since 2020. I can mainly be found at the Cruyff Court, where I offer sports and games activities to various groups. 

My life has been sports since I was little. From the age of two, I went on the sailboat, swam, and accompanied my mother while she trained for the triathlon. When I was a little older, I also rode horses and did gymnastics. When I was not in a gym, swimming pool, or sailing boat, I could be found outside in the woods, fields, or on the street skating.

What has your sports journey been like up until now?

From the age of 12, there was the opportunity for me to make competitive swimming my career. This meant a lot of training - six mornings before school, swimming three times a week, and competitions throughout the Netherlands on Saturdays. Unfortunately, I injured my shoulder when I was 16 at a competition in Germany. After that weekend, I came out of the water broken and could no longer move my arm. The pain in my shoulder made it impossible for me to wash my own hair or brush my teeth. My parents decided with me that a career in competitive swimming was not going to work out.

I went from 42 hours of exercise per week to zero hours. These were difficult times for me. I had too much energy, and it had to go somewhere. I made the wrong friends, spent many nights away, and no one, even me, knew what I was really doing. The result was that I almost did not graduate from high school.

Luckily, I met my boyfriend. He saw that I had a lot of energy and that sports and exercise was the best outlet for me. Together with him, we started building up slowly with swimming and fitness. This taught me that exercise can also be done without results. This gave me friends instead of opponents.

School was never really my thing, but I wanted to get a bachelor's degree. I studied for my degree in Sports Science at Hogeschool van Arnhem en Nijmegen (HAN University of Applied Sciences). I was part of a rugby team there. Rugby taught me that everybody plays a role on a team, from strong forwards to fastbacks. During my studies, I did some crazy things outdoors, like learning how to sleep outside at -20 degrees in Finland. My roommate is still one of my best friends.

These experiences have made sport even more of a tool. The goal of winning was no longer there for me. I found the adrenaline that I am still looking for in climbing mountains, and multi-day hikes in medium or high altitudes with only a backpack, clothes, and a tent.

I have since shared these experiences to show what is possible in the field of sports and exercise. Sharing these experiences that I am passionate about gives me energy. In addition to my studies, I founded a personal training company with my boyfriend, where I focus on women and girls.

After my studies, I wanted to continue working with young people, so I started working as a neighbourhood sports coach. I stopped playing rugby and started CrossFit, where I was inspired by the professional CrossFit athletes Annie Thorisdottir and Laura Horvath. They showed me that you can participate without ever having tried before, and with training and structure, you can compete at the top. A strong body is important. Appearance comes after health.

Another barrier I have faced is fitting into a feminine image at 1.80m tall. Unfortunately, I still get a lot of comments about this. My friends and family are supportive. It does not matter to them what I look like, and they see Elke as Elke and not as someone who has to fit in somewhere. The most important thing I learned from sport is that you can play, and even if you are big, strong, and covered in mud, you can have excellent feminine energy.

Why did you start working in your community? Why are you motivated to do the work that you do? Why do you think your work with girls is important?

After my studies in Nijmegen, I moved to Waalwijk and started working at an after-school care centre, where a job in community sports became available. Working in community sports appealed to me, and I was able to identify well with the group during the orientation day. In my early years, I often played and exercised on the street. In the first year of this job, I noticed that mainly boys participated. However, more and more girls came to participate because I was there. 

The girls who participated shared experiences they had within sports, which were similar to mine. Sharing this experience motivated me to create opportunities for girls in sports.

I have taken on a coaching role in all my sports. However, it has never been possible to be ultimately responsible for coaching. This responsibility always went to the men.

What did you try to capture with your photos? Was there a deeper meaning to the photos?

The photos were taken on the Cruyff Court in Waalwijk. I met some of these girls in 2020 when mainly boys were on the Cruyff Court. After playing football together for a few afternoons, they started playing football at a club. They continue to play football every Friday afternoon as a team of friends at the Cruyff Court, where I also join to support them. In addition to playing football, I help them with questions about life in the Netherlands.

I have tried to show fun through sports. Sport is a means that can be used to create self-confidence, fun, and connection. The photos show that what I do can help others and give them pleasure through sports.

Why is sport important for your community? Why is it important to you?

Sport is important to my community because when girls see other girls playing on the Cruyff Court, it can help break barriers. It shows playing sports is normal.  

This is important to me because not everyone has had the luck I had with a mother as a role model. My mother has always continued to play sports and not care about the opinions of others. I want to pass that on to other girls who may not have that role model. My mother and I live for exercise. It makes us happy and feel connected.

What role does sport play in your community and your culture or society? What are some of the prevailing challenges for women and girls in your communities?

In Waalwijk, we have a multicultural society. Due to different norms and values ​​within cultures, it can sometimes be difficult for women to take up sports. In general, in the Netherlands, we are positive about women who play sports. Most women participate in sports or exercise with a club. However, there is a decrease in participation from girls aged 12 to 18. This is often due to school and other interests. 

On the street, there are often boys from different backgrounds playing ball sports. It is not yet common for girls to play ball sports in public. We took up this challenge with community sports to normalise women playing ball sports in public.

What are the opportunities for women and girls to play sports in your community and in the Netherlands?

In every village or city, there are associations where girls can play sports with girls' teams. Small towns do not have all sports, and sometimes there is not always a women's team. However, a solution can often be found to meet the need. In addition, there are plenty of sports opportunities to exercise in public spaces. In most cities and municipalities, neighbourhood sports coaches have been appointed to supervise this. This creates safety for girls. In addition, the infrastructure for walking, cycling, and running is very good. 

The barriers that the girls in my municipality face are often internal barriers, such as the idea of being watched. But when you observe the others on the field, you see no one watching, they are busy with their own game. When you ask them, they are not interested in looking at the girls but want to play football themselves. 

Another barrier that the girls impose on themselves is the feeling that sport is not appropriate. But when you talk to their parents, classmates, bystanders on the street, or others in the offline world, no one says that they are not supposed to exercise.

The adidas Breaking Barriers Project has shown that compared to many other places, we have a beautiful municipality where girls and women have opportunities to play sports. The barriers that exist are mainly personal.

What do you think the future looks like for sport in your community and the Netherlands? 

The existence of associations in the Netherlands is coming under pressure due to insufficient commitment of volunteers. This volunteer-led sports structure is the foundation of the Netherlands. There is a lot of space and options at sports clubs for girls who want to play sports. These clubs exist because volunteers are committed to the club. If there are too few volunteers, there is a chance that clubs will disappear, and with them, the opportunities for girls to take up sports. Without volunteers, there would be no club, without a club, there would be no wide range of sports options for girls. Due to various factors such as individualisation, different cultures, and digitalisation, there is a challenge to keep the clubs alive.