Written by Trackandmemes, March 17, 2023
Jolien Maliga Boumkwo, a Belgian athlete living in Ghent, just returned from the European Championships in Istanbul, Turkey. At 29 years old, Jolien is a shot putter and hammer thrower with a big dream, the Olympic dream, a confirmed Belgian recordwoman, but also a smiling personality and full of life. Armed with her past experiences, she reveals her testimony.
In 2017, you were faced with a dilemma, which one?
I had a career before, as a shot putter and hammer thrower but I decided to take a break in the summer of 2017. At the time, I didn't know for how long exactly I would be out of the game. I stopped because my hammer throw coach left me 3 days before going on training camp, so I lost perspective.
I graduaded in Business Administration with a master in Accountancy & Fiscality. I had to make a choice, so I had to know if I wanted to go further in this sport.
I wanted to start a professional career after I graduated, so I could start building my own life without depending on someone. So I decided to quit athletics, and then anyway, by the time I quit, I didn't really feel comfortable with my sport anymore.
Then towards the end of 2017, RESC (Royal Excelcior Sport Club) asked me to join their club. So I did the interclubs with them in 2018 and 2019, and the Belgian championships.
But I wasn't training especially regularly, maybe once or twice a day. Now I am affiliated with Vilvoorde Athletic Club.
How did you really get back into shot put?
In the summer of 2021, I was on vacation in France, and I felt like I had a weight off my shoulders. And in the car with my boyfriend, I told him that I wanted to start again. But I wanted to make sure it wasn't an impulsive desire, so I waited two weeks, or maybe a month before asking Flanders' technical director, Rutger Smith, if he could help me and find me a coach. He then put me in touch with Tom Corstjens, and Tom agreed to give me a chance.
I had 6 months to show that I deserved to be considered and that I really wanted to work towards my goals. In the winter of 2021, I almost broke my indoor record, with a performance of 16m21, and my record was 16m30 when I was at my best during my career at the time.
What steps have you taken to align yourself with your new sporting vision?
I had to make the right decisions so I could have a successful career. My coach was surprised that it worked so well, so we kept working hard. And in the summer, the European Championships were even a possibility. But I didn't manage to qualify in the end...
This winter, we decided to aim for the Olympic Games 2024. And to make this goal concrete, I had to make choices, even financially, especially regarding my sports camp in South Africa. I was really grateful to be able to be there for three weeks during this winter. It really helped me and I saw the results.
I also improved mentally, not focusing on the things I don't have. But rather focusing on the things I do have and being grateful for them, being thankful for every step and enjoying my process.
I was in Turkey in Istanbul, for the European Championships, and I'm really grateful to have been there, to learn from this bad competition to turn it into something positive.
What was your mindset going into the European Championship ?
I wanted to throw over 18m and go to the final. But it wasn't the right mindset. I should have focused on what I had to do, instead of focussing on the result. Next time, I know I need to focus on what I need to do and not what I want the result to be.
You broke your own national indoor record three times, and by more than 1m50! First in 17m01, then 17m24 and finally 17m87! Was such a progression expected?
Last summer, I was in shape to throw 17 meters
but I realized that the stress I felt at the European Championships was not unknown to me, I already felt that during the summer competitions. Stress does not work for me.
My coach and his wife, Melissa, who were also throwers, saw me throw last summer in South Africa and they had the feeling I was going to throw far during the winter season. But I wasn't really thinking about it because I wasn't really feeling it.
J’avais une compétition programmée quelques jours après mon retour de stage en Afrique du Sud. J’étais malade durant les derniers jours du stage, et même lors du retour en avion. Donc pour cette compétition, je n’étais pas concentrée sur le fait de lancer loin. Je suis donc partie à Manchester et j’ai fait un record personnel en salle. 16m51. Ensuite, je suis rentrée à la maison et ai eu une courte nuit de sommeil, avant de me diriger vers les championnats nationaux flamands. Je voulais juste profiter du moment, quand soudain, j’ai fait un deuxième record personnel. J’étais concentrée sur ce que je devais faire, et pas sur le fait de lancer loin.
What happened next ?
The week after the championship, I had another competition, at IFAM, an International event. I was really tired, coming back from a birthday party that took place the night before the competition. For me, the most important thing was to not be focused on the competition and to do other things. I told my coach that I was really tired, but that we would see. I also told him that if I made a national record again, my boyfriend would drive me that night to a friend's house for a drink, and it worked. I made a national record and looked directly at my boyfriend.
Two weeks later it was already the Belgian championships, but it didn't go so well because I was a bit stressed. I wanted to do better, I made a good throw but the others were not so good. They were correct but not more.
You seem to have a good relationship with your coach?
It's important to have a good relationship with your coach. You have to be objective, but I really believe what he tells me.
Are you well supported ?
I feel well supported by my mom. She is there at almost every competition, my boyfriend too. He has a car and when he's not using it, he lets me use it to go to competitions on the weekends. He drops me off at the airport when he can. He's really invested in what I do. He tries to think of how he can help me, he is a very good supporter.
My close friends are also good supporters. They come to see me compete in Ghent, which I appreciate. They understand what I am doing. They enjoy doing what I do and have compassion for what I do. If I have less time available because of training, they understand that too. Everyone supports me.
What would you say to the old you?
Je lui dirais, Jolien, ne te concentre pas sur ce que tu n’as pas et sois reconnaissante pour ce que tu peux accomplir. Tout le monde ne peut pas faire ce que tu fais. Donc, sois juste reconnaissante et profite du moment. Entoure-toi de personnes qui ont de bonnes intentions envers toi, et ne perds pas ton temps avec des personnes qui ne veulent pas te voir devenir une bonne athlète.
What are your goals for the summer season?
This summer I would like to go to the World Championships. Not to focus too much on the ranking world. I would like to compete well, and just enjoy what I do.
And if you had to give advice to a young athlete who is inspired by you, what would you say?
Love what you do and be grateful for what you do. Don't waste your energy on worthless things, telling yourself that you deserve this or that, but do things just because you like them. Don't do them to get your picture taken, that's what will happen as a bonus. Do things for yourself, not for subscribers, or people's likes, but just for you. Even if there is no one at the competition, you have to like what you do.
People might say that it was easy for me to get to the European Championship, but I really worked for it. I made changes, I had to make good decisions.
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