{"id":88028,"date":"2018-06-19T17:04:01","date_gmt":"2018-06-19T15:04:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=88028"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:23:01","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:23:01","slug":"erasmus-sport-employee-wins-gold-medal-at-special-olympics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2018\/06\/19\/erasmus-sport-employee-wins-gold-medal-at-special-olympics\/","title":{"rendered":"Erasmus Sport employee wins gold medal at Special Olympics"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kevin Rozema, 36, was one of two thousand participants in the 2018 Special Olympics National Games, a major sporting event for athletes with a mental impairment, held in the Netherlands\u2019 Achterhoek region. The Erasmus Sport employee<\/a> won the golf competition in his category and so left the competition with a gold medal. Last Friday, his colleagues paid tribute to him at a barbecue.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI\u2019ve only played golf for about two years,\u201d says Kevin. However, he did play field hockey for 22 years, until many of his friends quit. \u201cI needed a new challenge, anyway, so I took up golf.\u201d The golf competition at the Special Olympics was only his second official competition ever. \u201cI really didn\u2019t expect to win. You see, I lost my first competition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Golf, camaraderie and parties<\/span><\/p>\n

Although Kevin is proud of his achievement, his fondest memories of the Special Olympics are those of the atmosphere. \u201cThe whole thing was a huge party. I enjoyed playing golf and the camaraderie, but the best thing by far was the parties.\u201d The Minister for Medical Care (Bruno Bruins) and singer Gerard Joling attended the opening ceremony, but according to Kevin, that was only the start. \u201cWe had karaoke, we danced a lot and of course I celebrated my victory.\u201d<\/p>\n

The athletes had been subdivided into categories based on their types of impairments. Kevin, who has Down syndrome, took the gold in his particular category. \u201cI dreamt of becoming famous, preferably by playing golf. And now I have,\u201d Kevin says.<\/p>\n

He wishes to take part in the next edition of the Special Olympics, held two years from now, as well. \u201cUntil that time I will train hard and continue to work at Erasmus Sport. First I will deliver the mail, then I will patrol the building and have lunch, and in the afternoon I will wash dishes. That\u2019s not going to change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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Kevin Rozema (36) has been working at Erasmus Sport for over a year. Everyday he delivers the mail, checks the building, helps in the kitchen and takes care of the tennis and beach volleyball courts.<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t