The Swan Sailing on International Waters
Stef Broenink (r) and Melvin Twellaar celebrate their silver medal during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. - Photo: Kimimasa Mayama
If you squint your eyes, you will spot a tiny Dutch flag on the stern of the Varsity Eight. This Dutch flag represents an impressive feat of the Zwanennest: the house has brought up many rowers that have participated in the U23 World Rowing Championships, the Senior World Rowing Championships, World Cups, and, since 2021, even the Olympics!
During the recent Olympic Games in Tokyo, Stef Broenink, who is a former resident of the Zwanennest, competed in the Dutch double sculls. Together with his partner Melvin Twellaar, he won a silver medal for the Netherlands! And in 2022, he participated for K.S.R.V. “Njord” in the Varsity, a race between the best coxed fours in the country that takes place during the Varsity, the Dutch equivalent of the Henley Royal Regatta.
Stef is not the only one who competed under the Dutch flag in 2021. For example, the current captain of Njord, Floris Gerritsen, who now lives in the Zwanennest, participated in the U23 World Rowing Championships. He quit rowing for the year in order to become captain of his boat club, but who knows what the future might bring…
Even the two senior coaches at Njord have lived in the Zwanennest and have participated in international races. It is safe to say the Zwanennest is a successful breeding ground for men’s rowers.