Nederlandse krijgsmacht, Netherlands

Left: Lieutenant General Martin Wijnen, Vice Chief of Defence
Right: CIJ Hartley, Chairman The King’s Cup Organising Committee

Your Crew

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Cadet Corporal Emma Tros is one of three girls that has been selected for the Dutch crew in the King’s Cup. She has only recently started studying at the Royal Netherlands Military Academy (RNLMA). She transferred to the Royal Marechaussee (military police department) after the first sixteen weeks of military training with the army. Prior to rowing she loved playing
water polo. 

Cadet Sergeant Mark Wijnalda serves for the Royal Netherlands Air Force. He joined the Royal Military Academy in Breda in 2015. He is currently studying for a Bachelor in Military Business Science and is working towards a Private Pilot License. Next year he hopes to do military pilot training so that he can become a pilot in the Royal Netherlands Air Force. Before rowing he was a sailor and was part of the winning crew at the C&A games on ‘Holland Beker’. He is also president his rowing club.

Midshipman Christian Volker serves for the Royal Netherlands Navy. He joined the navy to become an Engineering officer and plans to do a bachelor in Military Systems & Technology in Den Helder. He enjoys judo and football. 

Adelborst voor de Technische Dienst/ Midshipman Paula Bras is 19 years old. She joined the Navy in August 2018, to become an engineering officer. She has started the Bachelor of Military Systems and Technology. She enjoys playing water polo and also likes road cycling. 

Cadet Sergeant Vincent Hilling is in his third year in the Royal Military Academy Breda. He is studying for the bachelor’s in military business science and wants to be a pilot in the Royal Dutch Airforce. As well as Secretary of the military rowing club Vincent is a keen motorcyclist 

Cadet Sergeant Christiaan Sybesma serves for the Dutch Armed Forces. He joined the Royal Military Academy in Breda in 2015 and is in his third year studying for a Bachelor in War Studies on the faculty of military sciences. Once he is finished, he hopes to become a platoon commander of a cavalry recon platoon. He started rowing at the Utrechtse Studenten Roeivereniging “Triton” when studying at Utrecht University. 

Corporal candidate reserve officer Guus Koppes is in the Royal Netherlands Navy. He started his Military career last December as part of the Defensity College program. He works one day a week with the Defence Materiel Organisation and contributes to the design of new naval vessels. He is currently doing a master’s in marine technology at the Technical University Delft. He enjoys training for a triathlons and he has already competed twice at Henley Royal Regatta.

First Lieutenant Ingeborg Dijkstra serves Royal Netherlands Air Force. She started working for the Royal Netherlands Air Force, as a part of the Defensity College Programme in 2016. She has recently obtained a MSC in Strategic Product Design and has previously rowed and coached at her university’s rowing club in Delft. 

Corporal Candidate Reserve Officer Annabel Oggel is at the Royal Netherlands Air Force. She is a student at Delft University of Technology and has recently started her military career as part of the Defensity College programme. She rowed for seven years, including at her university in Delft, but has recently made the switch to coxing. She enjoys weightlifting, running or cycling. When she is not outside, she says she will either be studying or reading. 

Cadet-Sergeant Stijn de Jong serves for the Royal Dutch Army.He began at the Royal Military Academy in 2016 doing his bachelor’s in military engineering. After his graduation he will start his training as platoon commander with the combat engineers. Before joining the military, he spent his time quite differently, he was a keen actor and loved playing music. He says that although there is there is no time for that now, rowing is a great replacement. 

Sergeant Midshipman Tim Lenselink joined the Royal Netherlands Naval College in Den Helder in 2015. He is currently studying for a Bachelor in Military Business Science at the Royal Netherlands Military Academy, Breda. During his study period he has been embarked for several periods on Naval ships to hone his bridge watch keeping and navigation skills. He is a from a joint- military family (Army & Navy). He enjoys playing Field Hockey "de Kieviten” and is in the Navy Field Hockey team.He started rowing at the Midshipman Rowing Club "Panta Rhei" a couple of years ago and was selected to represent the Naval College in a military rowing event in Rio de Janeiro. 

Head Coach Ensign Tess Horlings started working for the Royal Netherlands Army, as a part of the Defensity College programme so she was able to combine her Army with her civil university degree. She has a BA in Middle Eastern Studies and is soon to finish her MA in Military Strategic Studies at the Royal Military Academy.

Cadet-Lance Corporal Scott Akkerman is a coach for the Netherlands Armed Forces. He studied Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology, then applied to become an Officer Air Traffic Controller with the Air Force. He has recently joined the RNLAF by starting the Korte Officiersopleidng (Officers’ short-education programme) at the Royal Military Academy in Breda.

Team Manager Lieutenant-colonel Carel Sellmeijer serves as part of the Engineer Regiment of the Dutch Army and is the Team Manager for the Dutch crew. He has had many challenging jobs from platoon commander with the combat engineers, company commander of the bridge coy, staff functions at different levels in the Defense organization at home and abroad, and has been in missions for Kosovo and twice in Afghanistan, the first time as part of the Deployment Task Force and the second time at HQ ISAF CJ5. He began rowing at Triton and Dudok van Heel to compete for three years and eventually won three races.