In the news in ’82-‘83
Anne-Marie Raat did a medical internship in Kenya (photo:
Michiel Schapers was
private collection)
training for Wimbledon
EA goes back in time and wonders how the students who made the news in academic year 1982–1983 are doing. text and photos from now Sanne van der Most
Anne-Marie Raat
Michiel Schapers
52, Medicine
52, Business Economics
What were you up to in 82-83? ‘I did my “kandidaats” degree in Medicine in Rotterdam. I was really interested in tropical medicine and was an active member of Stichting STOLA, an organization focusing on health care in developing countries. A friend and I did a research internship in West Kenya on the health of small children there. We visited lots of field clinics and were well supervised by the Faculty.’
What were you up to in 82-83? ‘I was always good at tennis, but the spring of 1983 was my real breakthrough. I became Dutch champion after I played a very good match in the ABN-Amro tennis tournament. This meant I could play at Wimbledon for the first time. All in all, a very exciting year with loads of international matches.’
What do you do now? ‘After I graduated, I worked in Ethiopia. After a few clinical years I was a GP for fifteen years and have now worked for five years as a designated doctor at the Youth Care Agency in Utrecht.’ How do you look back at that time? ‘In that time an internship in Africa was very pioneering. It is much more common now. You were away from home for six months and didn’t have internet or a mobile phone, so were very reliant on yourself and those around you. An exciting time during which I learnt a lot.’
24 erasmusalumni. magazine
What do you do now? ‘I’m a coach. I’m self-employed and teach tennis at the Frans Otten Stadium in Amsterdam, mainly to boys.’ What do you remember most? ‘The fact that there was no support or supervision from the University whatsoever for young top athletes. I had to give up my degree in the end because I couldn’t combine the two. It is all very different now and is even encouraged. Then you had to do it alone.’