Laura de Zwart was announced in August of this year that she had cancer and is now back as a senior volleyball player with top club Sliedrecht. She played her first minutes against VV Utrecht in the major league game on Saturday.
De Zwart, who made his Orange debut in 2017 and was part of the World Cup qualifier last summer, was playing for Germany’s Roten Raben Vilsbiburg when the news broke.
“I was told I have cml, a chronic type of leukemia,” he told AD.
Due to illness, Roten Raben never played for Vilsbiburg. Instead, he needed to work on his recovery. This was possible with the drugs he would use throughout his life. “It took time for me to heal but eventually it started to itch again and you want to start all over again.”
Sliedrecht offered to train with him and now be fully involved in the selection. “I was welcomed here with open arms. I have never felt pressured and that has been really good for me.”
Yield
He was finally able to play minutes again against VV Utrecht. He was not completely satisfied with his level, but he is proud that he was able to compete again.
“It feels very special. You’re always tough on yourself as a top athlete, but in this case I can be a little nice to myself and say it’s been a success to be here.”
De Zwart may also play in the Super Cup match this week. He wants to go back to the top of volleyball in small steps.
“I want to go abroad again one day, but I want to do it step by step. I have to be realistic Of course, I’ve been through a lot this summer. So I hope I can move forward with small steps.”
Source: NOS
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
