Maarten van der Weijden, a Dutch swimmer turned charity fundraiser, shares his story of beating cancer, setting up a foundation, and raising millions for cancer research through endurance swimming events. The podcast explores his transition from athlete to fundraiser, the challenges he faced, and how he ensures transparency in managing the funds raised.
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Quick takeaways
Maarten van der Weijden raised millions for cancer research through extreme physical challenges like long-distance swimming.
He ensures all donations directly fund cancer research, emphasizing accountability and impact.
Deep dives
Martin van der Vaiden's Journey: Overcoming Cancer to Olympic Gold
Former Dutch swimmer, Martin van der Vaiden, who recovered from leukemia and won Olympic gold, established a foundation focusing on cancer research. Through extreme physical challenges like swimming 200 kilometers, he raised nearly 18 million euros. By ensuring all donations directly fund cancer research, Martin emphasizes accountability and impact.
Philanthropic Impact: Transparency in Fund Allocation
Martin's foundation guarantees that every donated euro goes to cancer research projects vetted by a medical advisory board. Oversight ensures funds are spent appropriately, with detailed updates on the foundation's website. Martin stresses the importance of fulfilling promises made to donors.
Setting Goals with Resilience: Lessons from Adversity
Martin's experience battling cancer taught him to set ambitious goals while maintaining realistic expectations. He acknowledges that despite dedicated efforts, achieving lofty goals may not always be possible. His resilience, shaped by illness and sporting challenges, underpins his continuous fundraising endeavors.
The Dutch swimmer won gold in Beijing, having been diagnosed with cancer seven years earlier.
We hear why he decided to stop competing, and instead turn his attention to charity fundraising - setting up his own foundation and raising millions for cancer research through long-distance swimming endurance events.
And how he ensures that the money raised is correctly managed.
Produced and presented by Matthew Kenyon.
(Image: Maarten van der Weijden setting a new world record in 2021, by swimming continuously against a current for more than 31 hours and 7 minutes. Credit: Getty Images)
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