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 the future, Maura hopes to combine her athletics and studies at a higher level in America. At her current club she trains only three times a week, but in America she can expand her training and develop further as an athlete. At the same time, she wants to pursue a university education. This will give her the opportunity to grow both athletically and personally, meet new international people, be part of a university team and make the team better. Her life goal is to be the best she can be, both on the track and in her studies, while staying true to herself and the people she loves.
“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.
