Tokio – De route naar de gouden medaille waarop windsurfer Kiran Badloe (26) vandaag in Tokio beslag legde, is begonnen op Bonaire. Daar maakte hij kennis met windsurfen en behaalde ook zijn eerste kampioenschap, zoals hij op zijn website schrijft:
This is my story
I have always been a sporty child, an active little man who loved to play outside and be on the move. And that is exactly the life I live today. That active outdoor kid from the past is still there.
I grew up with a football father. And as per usual, I also went on to play football. Running after the ball with all the kids in my hometown Almere. I was always outside. Building huts and experience adventures.
In the summer that I turned 7, I moved to Bonaire with my parents and sister. Because I only went to school in the mornings, I had whole afternoons to spend outside. I did all kinds of sports there. And of course building huts and having adventures again. For me Bonaire was great!
The last year on Bonaire I took a windsurfing lesson. From the first moment I was sold. From then on my mother picked me and my sister up from school, we ate lunch in the back seat of the car and only when I was finished I was allowed to go on the water. Every afternoon I spend on the water. My first competition was the Regatta on Bonaire. I couldn’t jibe or tack yet. Just get off and pull your board around the buoy and quickly move on. Watching the local heroes really taught me a lot. And soon I had a full set myself. To help pay for it I spend many hours raking the beach to be clean again. My first sail was a 2.7 meter. It was as small as a tissue but I felt so tough.