In this article, we tell you more about student-athlete Laura Ploeger. In addition, below you will find the video in which Laura tells more about herself.
Sports: Artistic Swimming
Entry semester: Fall 2027
This is Laura Ploeger, an ambitious and versatile artistic swimmer from the Netherlands. Laura competes for De Dolfijn and the Royal Dutch Swimming Association (KNZB), where she is active in solo, duet and team events. With her strong technical foundation, length and quick adaptability to new routines and regulations, she has developed into a standout athlete within Dutch artistic swimming.
Laura began her career at De Dolfijn and progressed to a higher level of competition at a young age. At the age of thirteen, she was asked to join the senior free combination team due to a shortage of swimmers. Because there were no age restrictions at the time, she got early experience at the senior level. This unique opportunity played an important role in her development as an athlete.
Because of these achievements, Laura was invited to train with the Dutch national youth team. In the following season she was part of the national youth program, where she gained experience within an intensive and professional training environment. Her development was rapid and her first international competition with the team in Prague was an important highlight. There she achieved third place in the individual technical figures and second place with the team.
Later that season, Laura made her debut at the Dutch Senior Championships, where she won silver with the team in both the technical and free routine. Shortly thereafter, she represented the Netherlands in Belgium with her solo, where she again gained international experience.
What sets Laura apart as an athlete is her technical quality. She excels in elements such as barracudas, spins and twirls and quickly adapts to new grading systems. Her height is a great advantage within elevators and acrobatic elements, in which she combines stability and height. In addition, she is highly disciplined, detail-oriented and able to focus within several competition forms simultaneously.
In addition to her athletic ambitions, Laura values her studies. She combines top sport with strong academic goals and is motivated to develop further both athletically and personally within a challenging environment.
“My goal is to keep improving, enjoy the process, and compete at the highest level possible.” – Laura Ploeger
Would you like to see more from Laura? Watch the video below where she introduces herself.