Femke Bol: “I love love”
Once upon a time, in two lands not so far away, a Dutch hurdler and a Belgian pole vaulter fell in love. They met just before her career took off on the global stage, falling for each other and for the rhythm of life in sport. Since then, they’ve grown as athletes and as partners, learning how to navigate long-distance training camps and life’s small, everyday moments together.
“That can be hard sometimes,” Bol said when asked how they manage to keep their relationship from being consumed by the world of sport. “If he’s focused on training or I am, we can talk about it all evening long. I think that’s normal. But we’re also good at watching a show together and forgetting about everything, or planning a vacation, or going golfing, just doing something completely different and enjoying each other’s company.”
There’s a sweetness in the way Bol speaks about Broeders, a warmth that’s both candid and matter-of-fact. “We miss each other a lot with different training camps, [so] we really value the time we do have together, without all the stress,” she said. “Especially before big championships, those weeks are full of stress. I’m super nervous, and so is he. Sometimes we need to not talk about it at all. Or sometimes we’re really good at supporting each other through it. It depends on the moment.”
Support, in this relationship, isn’t just lip service. She recalled the night of the Paris 2024 Olympic 4x400m mixed relay final. Earlier that day, Broeders had competed in his own Olympic qualification round, which hadn’t gone as planned. That night, Bol ran to Olympic gold.
“That’s tough,” she reflected. “We didn’t talk about his day. We focused on my final. It was incredible how he handled that. He was truly happy for me, even though he was dealing with so many emotions of his own. That means a lot. That he could set his own feelings aside in that moment.”
Asked if it was important to her that he’s an athlete, Bol smiled. “Not at all. Honestly, the only ‘requirement’ I had was that a guy was taller than me, and even that didn’t work out!” she laughed.
Bol is open about her emotional nature and the intensity with which she feels. “I love love. I give a lot of love,” she said. “But I’m also a very emotional person… if a training session goes badly, I might fall apart for half a day, and I bring it all to him.”
So what makes him so special? “He’s caring, sweet, social, very calm, and patient. His personality alone makes me feel calm, just being with him helps.”