Athletic Background

Adriaan began swimming school in Sint-Maarten in 2019, where he lived at the time, participating in an interscholastic race and immediately discovered his love for the sport. He joined the Carib Swim Team, where he learned the fundamentals of the four strokes. He was later introduced to competitive swimming, which sparked his passion for racing.

After moving back to the Netherlands in 2021, Adriaan quickly resumed training with AZC, competing in his first Dutch meet just one week after returning. He qualified for Junior Nationals for the first time in December 2022 and has been a consistent top performer in his age group ever since. By 2025, he placed within the top 8 nationally in almost every event he competed in and qualified for senior (open) nationals as a 15-year-old.

Adriaan has also trained with the Opleidingscentrum (OC) in Den Haag, participating in advanced video analyses, testing, and twice-weekly training sessions under coach Pim van Hedel during the 2024–2025 season.

In addition to pool swimming, Adriaan also competes in open water races during the summer season, where he has shown strong endurance and adaptability. In the most recent season, he finished third overall in the open water competition series — a testament to his stamina and versatility across swimming disciplines.

Personal Records (PRs)

(Selected highlights)

Freestyle

•⁠  ⁠50m: 24.84 (LCM)

•⁠  ⁠100m: 55.02 (LCM)

•⁠  ⁠200m: 2:06.28 (LCM)

•⁠  ⁠400m: 4:25.13 (LCM)

•⁠  ⁠800m: 9:20.09 (LCM)

•⁠  ⁠1500m: 17:56.99 (LCM)

Backstroke

•⁠  ⁠50m: 29.17 (LCM)

•⁠  ⁠100m: 1:02.13 (LCM)

•⁠  ⁠200m: 2:17.48 (LCM)

Breaststroke & Butterfly

•⁠  ⁠50m breaststroke: 32.92 (LCM)

•⁠  ⁠50m butterfly: 29.06 (LCM)

•⁠  ⁠100m butterfly: 1:06.44 (LCM)

Individual Medley

•⁠  ⁠100m IM: 59.77 (SCM)

•⁠  ⁠200m IM: 2:17.52 (LCM)

•⁠  ⁠400m IM: 4:57.20 (LCM)

Strengths

Adriaan is a hardworking, enthusiastic, and versatile swimmer, capable of competing at a high level across nearly all strokes and distances. He is particularly strong in freestyle, backstroke and medley, and excels in relay situations where his team-first mentality allows him to push beyond his limits. He is a quick learner and consistently applies feedback to improve technique, turns, and underwater phases, which maximizes his efficiency and race performance.

Areas for Improvement

Adriaan’s dedication means he always identifies areas to refine. He is currently focused on:

•⁠  ⁠Enhancing underwater phases and turns for greater speed.

•⁠  ⁠Improving butterfly and breaststroke technique to become a more complete IM swimmer.

•⁠  ⁠Developing mental resilience and strategic race planning, as well as incorporating strength training and recovery protocols to maximize performance.

Athletic Goals

Adriaan aims to continue growing as a student-athlete in the U.S., combining academic and athletic development. His short-term goal is to become a well-rounded swimmer, capable of contributing across multiple events at a high level for his college team. Long-term, he aspires to leverage his U.S. training experience to reach the highest levels of swimming, with the Olympic Games as his ultimate target. He is motivated by the opportunity to refine his skills, challenge himself, and gain international experience that will shape his future both in the pool and beyond.