We always have to appreciate what we have because we may lose it in a fraction of the time. Jeroen de Haas @webhaaz, an upbeat cyclist from Rotterdam, knows it better than anyone else. Being a really cool cyclist with years of experience behind, he highly values the ability to move and finds movement his own kind of freedom and pure happiness. We decided to interview Jeroen to know his story and inspire our readers to do what you love and enjoy every single moment of your life. Stick around to know how our insoles help Jeroen to perform his favorite activities.

What’s your goal behind cycling?
I’ve been cycling for about 40 years (I started at 8). When I was younger, my goal of course was to become a professional cyclist. But at the age of 21, I faced a choice of continuing cycling or getting the proper education. So, I chose the second option, and now my goal is a) to stay fit and b) to do something that is a real passion for me. I cycle with friends and always take great pleasure in it.    

What’s the best of being a cyclist?
For me, it’s stretching your goals every time when you’re doing it, it’s pushing yourself beyond your limits, it’s continuing despite any obstacles. 

How did you choose this activity? What motivated you when you were choosing it?
Yeah, that’s a good question! (laughing). When I was younger, perhaps 7 years old, there was road bicycle racing in the Netherlands. The colors, sounds, speed, and stylish clothes of cyclists attracted me THAT much that I decided to take it up myself.  

What physical training do you need to become a cyclist?
Yes, of course. Especially when you are racing, you need to cycle 7 days a week. The physical training is almost the same as for running: interval training, endurance exercises, and a lot of races to always get better. Even if you are not racing and cycling just for pleasure, you also need to ride a lot and train to be able to easily speed up to 70 km/h or higher.  

What does the joy of movement mean for you?
Oh, the joy of movement is highly important for me as I know how it is not to move. In 2017, I broke my right hip when was biking in Switzerland. Therefore, I had to learn how to walk and run again. The recovery took almost a year. Then I broke my left hip and had to do the whole process of recovery again. At that time, when I was trying to learn to run again, I found the Ortho Movement that really helped me to rebuild these skills and get free movement again. Now I highly value the ability to move and understand that IT’s the thing that makes me happy. 

Can you describe your feelings when you’re at full speed on the road?
I would say that’s the real adrenaline kick! Especially, when you go down the hill because at that moment you can reach a speed of over 80km/h. You can’t describe it in simple words: it’s the feeling of the wind, the speed, the freedom… I always say that when you don’t think, you can reach the highest speed very easily. But when you try focusing on it, you start breaking and it’s over. It’s a kind of very fine line between keeping everything under control and letting it go (laughing).  

How do our products support you in your work? 
When I had that recovery process after the accidents, the Ortho Movements insoles really helped me out. At that time, I wanted to start running again, so the running insoles became my “lifeboat” that provided me with a more stable walk. I use sports insoles when I cycle because they’re well-formed and give my feet a more stable feeling on the pedals. The running insoles help me keep balance after breaking my hips. The outdoor insoles in my ski boots, which are normally very flat, give me so needed support due to the same problem. Even during my workdays, I use the sneaker insoles, which also provide me with the feeling of constant support.  

What would you recommend to the people who are going to take up cycling?
Start slowly, don’t overdo, keep your limits, find your goal in cycling and decide where you wanna go. But don’t put your goal too high at the beginning because cycling is an endurance sport that requires you to get into it. And also don’t buy too expensive stuff when you just start — it’ll be a pity if you don’t like it. You can always upgrade it later. 

We never know life’s twists. The only thing we know is that life’s too short to sacrifice it for the things that don’t make us happy. After the interview with Jeroen, we realized it one more time. Thanks a lot for reminding us to not take for granted the things that we have since birth. Love yourself, care for your feet, and use the equipment that helps your body stay healthy.