Following his dad’s footsteps: BMC-athlete Heldoorn impresses world of triathlon
When you’re the son of one of the best triathletes in Dutch history, it might seem to the outside world like only a matter of time before you become one of the best triathletes from the Netherlands yourself. However, athletes in this position know better. BMC-triathlete Niek Heldoorn is one such athlete, following in his dad’s footsteps. He understands that it takes hard work to leave a bigger mark than his dad did in his career.
When Heldoorn was six, he realized that his dad was among the best triathletes of that time, claiming professional wins. He asked him whether he himself would be allowed to do a triathlon as well, and – of course – his dad allowed him. Together they swam, rode (Heldoorn with a Winnie the Pooh helmet), and ran. “Ever since, I fell in love with the sport”, the Dutch triathlete supported by BMC-dealer Woest Sport says.
“My dad never pushed me to do the sport. I developed my own love for triathlon, particularly the long-distance disciplines. However, he has always been supportive and my fan. Actually, he is still supporting me as my coach."
Frank Heldoorn was not your average professional triathlete. On three occasions, Niek’s dad finished in the top 10 of the Long Distance Triathlon World Championships. The longer and harder, the better, was what counted for Frank and also counts for Niek. “It just fits us physically better,” Niek says.
Currently, Niek Heldoorn sits on five professional victories and seven podiums. Born in 1999, he will be targeting the hardest long-distance races for the remainder of his fruitful career. “Climbing suits my body posture,” he says, “and I also like descending. I think my advantage over other triathletes might be my descending skills, as I tend to believe that I am technically slightly more advanced.”
Heldoorn proved that by winning Embrunman in 2022, which is considered one of the hardest Ironmans on the globe, with a lot of elevation in both the cycling and running disciplines. “I remember that my dad was crying with happiness when I won that race. For both me and him, it felt like I was following in his footsteps.”
More recently, the Dutchman on the BMC Speedmachine claimed silver in the Ironman in New Zealand and won the Ironman in Kraichgau. During one of his more recent events, the Ironman in Klagenfurt mid-June, the Dutch triathlete finished thirteenth. His next event is, again, the Embrunman, traditionally raced on the fifteenth of August every year.
The marks of his dad’s footsteps are rather big; however, the son of the former professional triathlete is well on his way to leaving bigger marks over his dad’s. Over the last few years, with tremendous support from his dad and partners, Heldoorn has made a lot of progress, and the end of that steep curve is nowhere to be seen just yet.
