Hi there, I am Marleen Buitenhuis, of the Dutch national fencing team.
I started fencing in 2009 when I was 10 and I immediately fell in love with the sport. I grew as a fencer step-by-step, starting with competitions in the Netherlands and now I am doing World Cups frequently. I became Dutch champion in seniors twice (so far), but my dream is, of course, to be fencing at the one competition that everyone wishes to be part of: the Olympics.
It is my biggest dream to be fencing at the Olympics in Paris 2024. I know that there is still a long way to go. But I am willing to work for it! I recently moved to Budapest, Hungary to train with the world’s best fencers and trainers. On the side I do my bachelor in Mathematics. And even though I have made major process since I moved here, one thing is still missing… And that is (financial) support.
On this website you can read all about my story and my experiences… so go ahead and take a look 🙂
PASSION FOR FENCING
Fencing is my true passion. Since I started in 2009 I have been motivated for every training. I have a winners mentality and the challenge to improve myself at every competition, training or even match is my thrive.
In my opinion there is not sport as beautiful as fencing. You have to be strong, fast, technical, tactical and most importantly clever. It’s like physical chess. Because the game is complicated and challenging, I will never get bored of it. I train on the daily often twice a day, but I still enjoy every second of it.
Precisely because of this mentality I strongly believe that my dream of an Olympic qualification can be more than just that: a dream.
