Chances are you're visiting this page because you want to get to know Niels a little better. Below we show a few highlights. Let's (sc)roll!
The beginning of something beautiful
Niels is nine years old when he goes to London with his mother Nicole in 2012. Not for the standard tour of The Big Ben, Tower Bridge and The London Eye, but to visit the Paralympics. Something happens there that will change his life. Here he will feast his eyes; enjoy the atmosphere and the experience. And the passion of people who are not limited by their physical disability. Niels knows immediately: this is where he wants to and will be one day.
Tough battle
Now we shouldn't take "standing" too literally. Niels, in fact, is in a wheelchair. As a result of a bacterial infection - meningococcal septicemia - he has to fight a life-and-death battle at the age of one. Fighter Niels wins it, but the price is high. Among other things, he loses both legs and several phalanges.
The fire ignites
Back to London for a moment in 2012. There, too, the fire ignites in him. He instantly falls in love with sports and is determined to reach the top. However, Niels is not yet involved in sports. He first tried sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball, but that wasn't quite it for him. He does fall in love immediately when he tries another sport with a ball and a net: wheelchair tennis.
Working up a sweat
Niels is sold and his enthusiasm knows no bounds. Every spare hour Niels works up a sweat. He takes his first tennis lessons at TC Carolus in his hometown. It soon became clear that Niels was bursting with talent. That, mixed with a strong willpower, will bring him much later...
An athletic student
It is becoming increasingly clear that Niels breathes sports. He gets up with it and goes to bed with it. At his high school, Niels chooses the Sports class. After graduation, he starts studying Sport and Exercise.
Establishment of the Niels on Wheels Foundation
Niels' dream came at a price. Because to accumulate enough qualification points, he had to play tournaments all over the world. For that, resources are needed. The Niels on Wheels Foundation saw the light of day and almost all of Helmond and the surrounding area came into action to support Niels. And so Niels was able to pursue his dream. Thanks again to everyone who made this possible!
Top Sports Status
Through Foundation Wheelchair Tennis Thadia in Sint-Michielsgestel, Niels joins the KNLTB national selection, earning top sports status from NOC*NSF. In 2019, he becomes world junior champion. His next goal is carefully formulated: competing in the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo.
Good luck in Tokyo!
In the summer of 2021, Niels on Wheels - as his nickname has since become - strikes gloriously. With bronze in the singles and, together with Sam Schröder, gold in the doubles, Niels' boyhood dream comes true. Suddenly he is Big in Japan. And a little later also in Helmond. Half his hometown turns out to cheer him on in the Helmond Sport stadium.
No end point
This paralympic success is not an end point, but only a checkpoint that will lead him to more success. After all, Niels has not left his ambitions behind in Japan. He is hungry for more success. Niels is stringing together tournament victories. Smaller tournaments, but also grandslams like the US Open and Roland Garros are becoming a prey for him. His next ultimate dream is singles gold in Paris in 2024. But there are more guys with that dream ...
More than a wheelchair tennis player
Things are going fast for Niels. He is more than a wheelchair tennis player; he is a true ambassador of disability sports. A motivator full of positivity, a charismatic personality. And above all just a very nice, down-to-earth Helmond boy who pursues his dreams through hard work. A boy who shows that even with a physical disability a lot is possible.
Veni, vidi, vici
Niels came, saw and conquered. He is currently number one in the world in the quad category. But the final chapter of his boyhood book is far from over. The story has only just begun. Will you experience his adventures with him? For starters, sign up for his newsletter and you'll be the first to know everything!