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Hockey

My dream as a kid was to make the national field hockey team in Belgium. But at 18y/o it was clear that I did not have the talent to make it. instead of ending up in an amateur team, I decided to continue competitive sports by switching to running and training for marathons.

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The beginning & party lifestyle

The start was a mix of training 4-5 times per week, and partying almost every day at college/university. I woke up with a hangover, did not go to class, and went running in the evening when my body allowed me to run, before partying again.

Getting sober and hard defeats

In 2020, at 22 y/o, I decided to go sober and chase more amitious goals in running. I quickly progressed to one of the best runners in Belgium. However, during every major championships (European, World, ...), I got painfully dropped in the heats and never made the final.

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Redemption... and the Olympic dream

When graduating in 2022, I decided to try and make the Olympics in the 5000m. My personal best at the time was 13min42sec, still very far from Olympic level.

In order to become world-class, I had to surround myself with world-class people
(runners, physios, and coaches). So I went on training camp all over the world and studied the science behind nutrition, running, recovery, and more. I compounded a massive expertise.

Dreams come true

With the help of an AI computer code, I chose the right races and managed to qualify for Paris 2024. Together with my trainer and physio, we also hammered my speed development. I was so uncertain on whether I would ever reach the level of an Olympic final (the best 16 out of 42 athletes).

August 7 2024 was a magical day. Somehow, against all expectations, I finished 3rd in my 5000m heat and qualified for the Olympic final. I finished 11th at the Olympics,which is a result that nobody expected me to run. It was like a fairytake. A dream come true!

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Running for me is a source of happiness and a life school. I also get very excited about the ever-evolving science around running gear, our physiology and other facets of athletics.

Quick facts

Running 3000m & cross-country during the winter, and 5000m during the summer.

Turned pro after graduating as a bio-engineer in 2022. Since then, my home changed from a desk to altitude camps.

My weekly mileage around 145km.

I don't eat red meat. Main motive is to perform at a higher level and enhance my daily recovery from training.

Medical technology & digital health enthusiast! I have a nerdy passion especially for the field of biosensors and their application in sports. A great example is the Supersapiens continuous glucose meter.

Former hockey player. Played hockey my whole life, but lacked the talent to enter the national team. When I enrolled at university, I made the transition to running.

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Palmares and journey towards the Olympic Games

Coming soon ...

Get in touch

If you have any question, request or information you'd like to share with me, please shoot !

1. Instagram : @heymans.john

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