Athlete Profile: Margo van de Merwe (NED), CadoMotus National Ladies

Margo van de Merwe
CadoMotus National Ladies Team
Age: 17
D.O.B: 25 October 1989

Country: The Netherlands
Town/City: Wolvega
Home skating club: Skeeler- en schaatsclub Lindenoord

Single/Boyfriend/Married: Single
School/Work: School, Hanzehogeschool (Groningen, NL)

Are there other skaters/athletes in your family?
I’m the only one who is skating in the family. My father skated for a couple of years, but now not any more. My mother and twin-sister (Twins... that makes Margo, together with Jessica & Sabrina Gaudesaboos, one of 3 twins in the CadoMotus Team!) plays tennis, and my younger sister swims.

How did you get started with skating?
I was 8 years old when I started with skating. In the winter I was skating on ice, I liked it so much that I would also skate in de summer. I went to a training of the club (Lindenoord). My sisters skated also for 2 years. After 1 year training, I wanted to skate competitions, and it all went from there...


Margo in the pack. Van der Wiel Baancompetitie, Purmerend, NL

What are your ambitions/goals in skating?
My ambitions this year are skate the European Championship and skate there a top 10 place. In the future I also want to skate in the World Championships.

Why do you choose to do speed skating? Why not something else?
I choose speed skating because I love it so much.

What about your ambitions/goals in life?
My ambition in my life for now is finishing school. I want also be a better skater and get the most out of myself – to be the best skater I can be. For the rest in my life I want to be healthy.

What has been your best, or favorite, skating moment so far?
The first medal on the European Championship relay on the road (2006).

What has been your WORST skating moment so far?
My worsted skating moment was when I crashed in 2000. My knee has to be stitch and since that fall I have a really big scar on my knee. Also a worst moment was when I crashed last year with a training and lost 2 teeth!

What is your favorite type of skating, or your favorite event?
My favorite is track skating (Where Margo was a much talked-about performer in her first year in Senior at the Dutch National Track Championships this year).


300m Time Trial, Dutch National Championships. Heerde, NL

What do you think is the best/strongest thing about your own skating?
That I can skate every distance, the long and short distance (at the Dutch National Track Championships, Margo was on the Senior Ladies podium together with European Champions in the 300m time trial, the 1000m sprint final, and the 10km points final).

How do you imagine the 'perfect race' is for you?
My perfect race... is any race that ends in a group sprint.

What is your advice to skaters who dream of racing in the world cup... how do they get there?
My advice is to believe in themselves and have a lot of fun in skating.

Who is another skater/athlete that you look up to, and why?
Hmmm...

Who is a young skater that you think has a big future in the sport (who is your tip to be the next champion)?
I don’t know because right now there are so many good young skaters.


European Championships 2006. Bronze Medal, Relay. Margo (left) with teammates including CadoMotus World's Bianca Roosenboom (center)

Career Highlights
World:
- Not yet... but its in Margo's future plans
Other International:
- 2006: European championships 3rd on the relay
- 2005: Skate the European championships
- 2004: Skate the European championships
- 2003: Skate the European championships
National:
- 2006: Dutch Championships junior on the road 2nd
- 2006: Dutch Championships junior on the track: 3rd on the 300m, 500m, 1000m and 10km elimination.
- 2007: Dutch Championships senior on the track: 3rd on the 300m, 1000m, 10km points and 1st on the relay.
Other:
- 2007: World Cup Dijon 10th
Results from Other Sports:
- Ice skating: Dutch Champion Marathon, Juniors B