Helga Trost thought she could skate her last race in Thiel on Sunday. 25-year-old Fresin had planned a long trip to Nepal and New Zealand. Those plans are shelved for now as she may go to the World Cups.
A few hours before the 1,000 meters in the World Cup Qualifier, Trost scours the Internet for tips on buying a car in New Zealand. “Let go of your mind,” she calls it.
It was one of the last details the skater still had to arrange for the world trip she had in mind. Starting in Nepal and six months in New Zealand. Almost all plans are made and she needs to book. “I wanted to wait until the weekend, just to be on the safe side,” Trost says with a smile.
It turns out to be a good choice. 1.15.28 (personal record) Trost set the fifth fastest time for the kilometer in Heerenveen. That was enough to qualify for the World Cup for the first time. She is only five-hundredths of a second ahead of sixth-placed Naomi Vergerk.
That small gap makes a big difference for Drost. “I don’t know if I would have continued skating if I hadn’t qualified now. When I crossed the finish line, I thought: if this is my last race, at least it will be a good farewell,” says the number three. 2022 National Sprint Championships.
“But now I’ll be a better athlete. It’s not mandatory, you know. It’s allowed. I’m really happy about it. That world tour was always Plan B. Plan A qualifying for the World Cup. That’s just me. Success.”
Why did Trost think about quitting skating?
Drost had been thinking about leaving for a while. Everyone around her knows that she is planning a long journey. “That actually gave me some relief.”
The sneaky runner made his debut at the 2016 Senior National Championships at the age of eighteen. A year later, he made his World Cup debut as a reserve player, but he couldn’t really break through. He didn’t race fast enough to qualify for the big races and didn’t stand out enough to make the transition from the Friesland region to the commercial team.
“I always had confidence in myself, but things always went the wrong way. It was very difficult. Especially when I saw other skaters jumping, I only took small steps,” says Trost. “Also, the great sports career is also very one-sided, it’s a small world. If there’s something in return, it’s not a problem. But lately I’ve been thinking more: Is it still worth it? I wanted to expand my world. A little.”
Being an amateur in the Trost region, it was not easy financially. “Fortunately, I have wonderful parents who are very supportive. And I work as an administrative assistant at Kuiper Insurance. I often knock on the doors of business groups, but I’m not immediately welcomed there. That’s not a problem. You have to work hard for skating? Now I’ve shown that I can do it. .”
Drost can show this again next week, but now at the World Cups in Obihiro, Japan and Beijing, China. So she still embarks on a world tour, but with her suitcase on skates. “I’m looking forward to it,” she says. Smile: “Asia fascinates me.”
“Introvert. Communicator. Tv fanatic. Typical coffee advocate. Proud music maven. Infuriatingly humble student.”
More Stories
USA delivers another blow to Mexico in Eredivisie final
Solar Magazine – China Challenges US Tax Credit for Electric Cars and Solar Panels
US economic growth is weaker than expected