In this article, we tell you more about student-athlete Maura Kes. In addition, at the bottom of this article you will find the video in which Maura tells more about herself.

Sports: women’s track & field
Entry semester: Fall 2026

This is Maura Kes, a 16-year-old athlete from the Netherlands, living in Beverwijk. Maura comes from an athletic family. Her father was a cyclist and her mother used to be a hurdler and long jumper. At the age of eight, Maura started athletics. Her mother often took her and her younger sister to the track during her own workouts or when she was training as a coach. So it was only a matter of time before Maura joined the club herself.

What makes Maura special as a person is her openness and honesty. What you see is what you get. She is spontaneous, humble, enthusiastic and results-oriented. When she does something, she wants to execute it well and perfectly. She is someone you can trust, who never disappoints anyone and always pays attention to the people around her.

What really sets Maura apart as an athlete is that she is driven and persistent. She doesn’t give up, even when the going gets tough. That’s why she loves the 400-meter hurdles: a tough number, both mentally and physically. Maura keeps going and continuously challenges herself to the limit.

In de toekomst hoopt Maura in Amerika haar atletiek en studie te kunnen combineren op een hoger niveau. Bij haar huidige club traint ze slechts drie keer per week, maar in Amerika kan ze haar trainingen uitbreiden en zich verder ontwikkelen als atlete. Tegelijkertijd wil ze een universitaire opleiding volgen. Dit biedt haar de kans om zowel sportief als persoonlijk te groeien.

“I don’t give up and I want to drive myself to the edge.”

Maura Kes

Would you like to see more from Maura? Check out the video below where she introduces herself.