Olympic champion Maarten van der Weijden swims one last time, now for the Máxima

Maarten van der Weijden is putting on his swimming suit one last time to raise money for cancer research. From 17 to 22 August, he will swim an incredible 270 kilometers through 22 cities, with the Princess Máxima Center as his final destination. With this special challenge, he is raising money for pioneering research into the immediate and long-term effects of childhood cancer.

For Life programme

The proceeds from the swimming challenge will contribute to the development of the For Life programme, a new research programme at the Máxima Center. Within the For Life programme, researchers are working to better understand the immediate and long-term effects of childhood cancer, detect them earlier and ultimately prevent them.

The programme brings together expertise and enables long-term research into the impact of childhood cancer and its treatment. In addition to working towards a cure, we are striving to enable survivors to live as healthy a life as possible after cancer. So that children can not only survive cancer, but also grow old in good health: for life.

Maarten van der Weijden: “I was not only lucky enough to recover from cancer, but also lucky that I did not suffer any lasting damage from my treatments. Many children are not that fortunate, even though they still have their whole lives ahead of them. That is why it is so important to conduct more research into the side effects of cancer treatment in children, both immediately and in the long term. That is why I am taking on one more major swimming challenge to raise money for this cause. And this time, I won’t be swimming through 11, but through no fewer than 22 cities!”

Giving it everything one last time

At the age of 19, Maarten himself was diagnosed with leukemia. After recovering, he decided to use his sporting achievements to raise money for cancer research. Through challenges such as his Eleven Cities Swimming Tour in 2019 and the Frisian Eleven Cities Triathlon in 2023, he had already successfully raised funds for cancer research.

With this final major swimming challenge, he wants to give it everything one last time for children with cancer and the generations that follow them.

Follow the challenge live

The swimming challenge starts on Monday, 17 August, in Vught and will take Maarten through 22 cities, including ’s-Hertogenbosch, Tilburg, Breda, Gouda and Woerden. On Saturday, 22 August, Maarten hopes to arrive at around 7:00 p.m. at the Princess Máxima Center, where he will present the proceeds of his campaign to the Princess Máxima Center Foundation.

The entire swimming challenge can be followed through Maarten van der Weijden’s channels, including the livestream on his website and via Instagram.

Would you like to follow Maarten or find out more about his challenge? Visit his website or follow him on social media.