The adventure of Kirsten Wielaard: who started from Netherlands to Tokyo a bike journey via Varese

Her smiling eyes and her super-equipped bike didn’t go unnoticed to the lens of the photographer Franco Aresi, who in this days is attending the European Rowing Championships in Schiranna. In addition to Kirsten Wieelard photographical portrait, he talks about the adventure of this Dutch athlete arrived in the shores of Varese’s lake, cycling from her birthplace.

 

She is a sportswoman, who won several competitions. Her dream was to qualify for the Olympic Games in Tokyo, but despite hard training and her enthusiasm she didn’t manage to enter in the Olympic team. However, she didn’t lose heart and as we can read “if I can’t come to Tokyo as a rower, why not taking an alternative route to root for my friends and old teammates?”

So, she decided to reach the Japanese capital in her bike, starting a travel rich in experiences, using the hashtags #roadtotokyo and #worldbike. She opened a site and an Instagram account to tell her journey, which aims to raise awareness and to raise funds for the Dutch Bodemzicht to help rebuilt nature.

She planned her journey into details: train routes and other on the road with her bike. In these days she has come to Varese to attend the European Championships.

If you want to follow her, here is the blog.

 

Translated by Ovalle Charlotte

Reviewed by Prof. Robert Clarke