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- #61
Helden & de Volkskrant, Cairo Egypt, fall 2011
Verona van de Leur: "We felt like some kind of cult"
Gabrielle Wammes: "I am still struggling"
Simone's world is turned upside down, she wants to go back to the Netherlands immediately.
Amsterdam, spring 2012
The intro ends with: "I had them stand on a scale in the gym, that wasn't smart," as if that were the worst thing, something Simone hadn’t even thought about. They continue reading aloud. "He doesn’t want to be called the ruler of the gym, but there was certainly some awe and a bit of fear. If something unexpected happened and I became strict, of course I could see that they were afraid. I am a big, imposing man, that plays a role."
Not a word about the mental and physical abuse, why they were so scared. Only a few paragraphs later does it subtly say: "As young and driven as I was, I must have cursed at some point, and not closed the door too gently." The indoctrination regarding the parents is only lightly touched upon: "He is said to have once said, the best parents are dead parents." Gerrit says that the statement was different. "It should not have been taken literally; it was an insight I believed in." The story ends with: "I told my board about her criticism; they thought it was good to know but said: Gerrit, we don't recognize any of that." He can't be serious! Could these really have been the literal words? The outrage of Stasja and Simone is immense. When Simone reflects on her gymnastics career, she now knows that it was about years of deprivation of freedom, coercion, physical abuse, manipulation, indoctrination, stripping of personality and human rights, withholding of parental love, and hindering of mental and personal development and growth. During her gymnastics years, and even afterwards, she was alienated from herself, her parents.
It took years to learn to deal with this better, but she still suffers from the consequences. It says that Gerrit now teaches in Calgary, Canada, where 1,300 children train. How would he deal with them now? Stasja and Simone look at each other determinedly; they are going to ask him personally in Canada!
On the way to the airport, September 27, 2012
- While Reint and Simone are on vacation in Egypt, an 11-page article appears in the magazine "Helden" about four top Dutch gymnasts who reveal details about their gymnastics past with coaches Gerrit Beltman and Frank Louter. The article talks about a prison-like regime and child abuse. "The behavior of the gymnastics federation and the coaches was so demeaning to children that we can speak of gymnastics terrorism. The young women still suffer from nightmares, mood swings, insecurity, misunderstanding, anger, and problems with eating and identity,"
- Renske Endel, silver medalist at the 2001 World Championships, states: "I was losing myself more and more. When I was in the car on the way to training, I hoped my father would drive into the ditch, then at least I wouldn't have to train." The other three gymnasts were trained by Gerrit's former intern Frank Louter, with whom Simone lived in the house.
Verona van de Leur: "We felt like some kind of cult"
Gabrielle Wammes: "I am still struggling"
Simone's world is turned upside down, she wants to go back to the Netherlands immediately.
Amsterdam, spring 2012
- Simone is in the car with Stasja when she receives a text message: "Have you read the article in de Volkskrant yet? An interview with Gerrit." They immediately stop at a gas station to buy the newspaper; it is a response to the article in Helden.
The intro ends with: "I had them stand on a scale in the gym, that wasn't smart," as if that were the worst thing, something Simone hadn’t even thought about. They continue reading aloud. "He doesn’t want to be called the ruler of the gym, but there was certainly some awe and a bit of fear. If something unexpected happened and I became strict, of course I could see that they were afraid. I am a big, imposing man, that plays a role."
Not a word about the mental and physical abuse, why they were so scared. Only a few paragraphs later does it subtly say: "As young and driven as I was, I must have cursed at some point, and not closed the door too gently." The indoctrination regarding the parents is only lightly touched upon: "He is said to have once said, the best parents are dead parents." Gerrit says that the statement was different. "It should not have been taken literally; it was an insight I believed in." The story ends with: "I told my board about her criticism; they thought it was good to know but said: Gerrit, we don't recognize any of that." He can't be serious! Could these really have been the literal words? The outrage of Stasja and Simone is immense. When Simone reflects on her gymnastics career, she now knows that it was about years of deprivation of freedom, coercion, physical abuse, manipulation, indoctrination, stripping of personality and human rights, withholding of parental love, and hindering of mental and personal development and growth. During her gymnastics years, and even afterwards, she was alienated from herself, her parents.
It took years to learn to deal with this better, but she still suffers from the consequences. It says that Gerrit now teaches in Calgary, Canada, where 1,300 children train. How would he deal with them now? Stasja and Simone look at each other determinedly; they are going to ask him personally in Canada!
On the way to the airport, September 27, 2012
- Simone's body is trembling; how will she react when she stands in front of him? Will she be able to ask him all her questions honestly? How will he respond to them, and to their confronting questions? Simone is determined not to give him the chance to influence her feelings as he used to, making her feel pity for him, erasing herself for him, and eventually boarding the plane home without answers to her questions. She is not going to let that happen; she must be strong!
