Noelle Roorda

Started: She took up Para athletics in 2016, initially in sprints and long jump, before switching to javelin throw in 2018. (duxnova.nl, 03 Apr 2024; unieksporten.nl, 31 Oct 2019; stichtingpara-atletiek.org, 2018) Reason: She was discovered by Dutch Para athlete Marlene van Gansewinkel during a Para athletics talent day. "[At the talent day] I played badminton and table tennis, because I had played tennis all my life. The fourth round was a free round and for that I actually wanted to choose archery, which seemed super cool to me. But when I wanted to fill up my water bottle, Marlene van Gansewinkel tapped me. She told me who she was and asked what I was going to do in the last round. She said I should come to athletics because I have long legs and I am thin." (unieksporten.nl, 31 Oct 2019; stichtingpara-atletiek.org, 2018) Ambition: To win gold at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (duxnova.nl, 03 Apr 2024) Additional Info: SWITCHING DISCIPLINE She trained in sprint events after taking up Para athletics in 2016 before switching to javelin in 2018. "[Sprinting] turned out not to be a great success. I had never done athletics before so I had no idea if I could really do it. Last year [2018], after the European Championships in Berlin, we changed the training and started doing fun things for a month where we could try other events like javelin, discus, and high jump. I had been saying for a long time that javelin seemed so much fun to me. And when I threw [the javelin] for the first time, my coach said, 'Wow, Noelle! Do that again'. So I threw a javelin two or three times and then I said to my coach, 'I don't know what you think, but I'm going to be a javelin thrower, period'. After that we completely changed my schedule and since then I have completely opted for javelin throwing." (Team Para Atletiek Facebook page, 07 Jun 2020; atletiek.nl, 05 Nov 2019; unieksporten.nl, 31 Oct 2019)

Sporting Relatives: Her younger brother Fabian Roorda has played tennis at national youth level in the Netherlands. (dutchtennisfoundation.com, 29 Nov 2016; TAMN Facebook page, 17 Feb 2016)