Namita Nayyar:
During the Covid pandemic. Tell us more about your routine to remain fit in those challenging times?
Dorien Motten:
Covid was a difficult time for all gymnasts. It’s hard for us to train outside or in our living rooms without all the materials and apparatuses we normally have in the gym. We all bought air tracks and little bars to use in our garden and train as much basic skills we could possible do in these conditions.
The strength and conditioning was easier to do although I’m used to do a lot of strength with weights which I didn’t have at home. Now I have a little home gym with all the stuff I need in case I cannot go to the gym anymore. I do hope we will never have a lockdown again!
Namita Nayyar:
You wanted to participate with the Georgian delegation in the 2023 European Championship in Antalya. However, you had to withdraw due to an injury to the ligaments of your right elbow. In sports like gymnastics how were you able to overcome any physical or sports injury setbacks and what advices can you give to those in a similar situation.
Dorien Motten:
That was a huge setback for me and I must admit it was not easy to overcome. I had a lot of injuries during my career already but most of them would just take a period of rest or adjusted training. My elbow needed surgery and at least 6 months of recovery before I could go back to gymnastics. That was very long time without flipping and twisting, only strength, rehab and conditioning. It took a whole other mindset to get through this.
A lot of patience and focus on healing my body instead of pushing it to its limits. It’s important to have a very good team around you in these situations. I had one of the best elbow surgeons of Europe doing my surgery and the best physio in Belgium to do my rehab with. Mentally I had a lot of support of my husband, my friends and family. They all believed I would be able to come back stronger and supported me through the whole process. My advice is to trust the process, be patient and have a good support team around you.
Namita Nayyar:
What do you wish to say about the website Womenfitness.net and the message for its visitors?
Dorien Motten:
I think Womenfitness.net is really worth to check out! Women sports are so undervalued and all the attention always goes to male sports. It’s good to have some media sources like Womenfitness.net that bring the attention to the strong women in sports. It’s so important to empower each other and show the world what we ladies can do. We barely have any financial support compared to men’s sports and it’s hard to get sponsor deals as a woman.
Namita Nayyar:
Advice and motivational words to the inspiring and budding gymnast girls, who all are your fans and shall like to know from you for their climb to the ladder of success in the field of gymnastics?
Dorien Motten:
All I can say is to never give up. That sounds cliché but it is this mindset that got me where I am right now. With every setback people would say ‘just give up Dorien, it’s not meant to be for you. Grow up and quit gymnastics. Go do a normal job’. That would have been the easy road to take but I did not want that. I still have plans, goals and dreams. I am not giving up; I’ll keep going until I, myself, decide I’m done.
Never let people tell you what to do or who to be. Trust yourself and do what you need to do to be the person you always wanted to be. You only have one life so live it the way you want. There will be hard times and dark moments, that’s part of it all. And in these times it is your discipline that will get you through. Just keep working as hard as you can and in the end you’ll get what you worked for, what you deserve. It may take a lot longer then you expected but keep going, don’t give up! I really hope that can change in the future!
Namita Nayyar:
A message for your ardent Instagram admirers.
Dorien Motten:
I want to thank them! It’s heartwarming how much love and support I get from my followers. It feels good to be able to inspire them to go for their dreams. I don’t want to impress people with my story, I want to inspire. Every time a little gymnast tells me ‘one day I want to be as good as you are’ I feel proud. Even if I don’t reach my own goals in the end I was able to show people how far you can come with a positive mindset and some hard work. That’s what matters.
Dorien Motten Social Media Presence
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dorienmotten/
This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President of womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied, or hosted in part or full anywhere without express permission.
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