Team Athlete Nienke van Overveld Continues Long-Term Partnership with Reebok

Taking home fifth place in the Affiliate Cup at the 2023 CrossFit Games, was Games Veteran Andre Houdet’s team, No Shortcuts. Alongside coach/teammate Houdet, was Netherlands athlete, Nienke van Overveld. As a five-time Games athlete, van Overveld has been a part of multiple teams, including 2021 4th place finishers, CrossFit Surbiton, out of England. 

With 2023 being van Overveld’s final competitive CrossFit season, she looks ahead to new challenges, backed largely by her sponsor, Reebok Europe. 

Tell me more: Nienke van Overveld has been working with Reebok Europe for six years now, signing on as a partner when she was new to the competitive CrossFit circuit. She reflects on the excitement of signing with such a giant of a brand, so early on in her journey as a professional athlete. 

• “Reebok has always allowed me to live the life I’ve wanted to live. They’ve completely supported me, all along the way. It has always felt so personal and connected – they really support my goals and dreams,” said van Overveld.  

All the way: As van Overveld transitions away from competing personally, she is helping others to follow in her footsteps. With her coaching program, All The Way, the Games veteran programs for clients worldwide, gives video feedback and inspires beginner CrossFitters to continue and push themselves in the sport. 

• “I’m so happy to be doing this, I work with athletes from all over, and help them get started in the sport. These are the clients I really enjoy – they’re such a big part of the community,” said van Overveld. 

In addition to online programming, as van Overveld has a background in gymnastics, the former competitor hosts gymnastics and competition clinics throughout the Netherlands and Belgium.  

• “My priorities have shifted from doing 20+ hours of training a week, to train three times a week with my own programming and I really love it. Besides those trainings, I have also taken training more outside of the CrossFit gym,” shares van Overveld. 

What’s next: In addition to focusing on All The Way, van Overveld looks forward to training for a possible marathon, triathlon or a Hyrox race. This was another impossibility in the past, due to the time needed to train properly and the risk of injury. 

• I’m looking forward to using my fitness that CrossFit has given me for different sports and disciplines. I had thought about (retiring) for about two years now, I’ve always looked forward to more, and… doing different things,” said van Overveld.  

The athlete also looks forward to returning to school, as she already holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree, but would love to further her studies and pursue a career in psychology as she has always been intrigued by sports psychology and the mental and emotional components of sport.  

The bottom line: Regardless of van Overveld’s retirement from the sport of fitness, in a competitive sense, Reebok stands behind her and continues to enable her to pursue her goals and passions, as they enter in this 7th year of partnership. She expresses how they have stood by her and supported her no matter what journey she has chosen to follow. 

“It’s a personal relationship”, she shares. “It feels like they appreciate you as an athlete, but also as a person. I’ve been able to make my dreams come true because of this.”