Here’s the Audio Conversation. https://fccdl.in/9KW1ZvbdNf click the link to listen.
Xiomara Getrouw is an athlete who was born in 1994. She’s a young and upcoming talent in sports. Currently her main focus is on swimming, but she is also very good at running marathons and cycling. Xiomara is a born triathlete. She’s been into sports since age 4. She was inspired by her mother who also was an athlete. My mom has a swim school in Suriname, South America.

Since the start of her career Xiomara has done many impressive things. She won a lot of prices and awards, has many records in her name and her strength is still increasing. Xiomara studied languages at AlphaMax Academy. This is an international private school based in Suriname, a country in South America. After she graduated from AlphaMax Academy she moved to the United States where she’s continuing her study. I study at MCC and graduated in May 2015. I studied liberal arts but focusing on Spanish and Sign Language. Then I moved to North Carolina where I earn a bachelor degree in Interdisciplinary studies focusing on Sport management, communication and as a minor in Spanish.

Xiomara trains on a daily basis and specialized in swimming categories: Back stroke (50m, 100m and 200m) and marathon swimming. The trainings, strength trainings amongst others, are necessary to reach the top. Xiomara is very ambitious and serious about her goals. She wants to participate at the Olympics. With the help of her Surinamese and American coaches, but mostly on her own strength and will power she reached the high level she’s currently at.

Xiomara is the first Surinamese who ever ran a 42 km marathon at age 16 and finished 1^st place in her category.

A few of the highlights of Xiomara’s career:

Xiomara participated in Asatt swimming competition in Trinidad and Tobago. She won 5 medals: Gold (800m freestyle and 200m back stroke), silver (50m, 100m backstroke and 400m freestyle) and a 3^rdplace most outstanding
She participated in Bigi Broki Waka that is a big bridge run over the Wijdenbosch Bridge it is about 52 meters high (10km) that was on January 2011 and won the 2^ndplace inside the category matching her age. She got the 5^th place in the overall standings.
In January 2011 Xiomara represented Suriname in the Miami Half Marathon. She was asked to participate by Mr. MacDonald, the manager of the Gazelle organization in Suriname.
In 2011 she also won two medals at the Anthony Nesty open swimming competition: Gold (100m backstroke) and silver (100m freestyle). She won gold (50m back stroke), silver (50m butterfly) and bronze (50m freestyle at the Neptunes Sprint swimming competitions.
Nesty is my inspiration he is the only one for now that won a gold medal for Suriname at the Olympics games in South Korea, Seoul in 1988. And also become the first swimmer with color that won a gold medal at the Olympics Games in Swimming.
In February of 2011 she won the first place within her category at the Olympic distance triathlon (1500m swimming, 40km cycling and 10km running).
In March 2011 at the Long course swimming competitions she won gold (50m, 100m and 200m back stroke), silver (50m butterfly, 100m freestyle and 400m freestyle) and bronze (50m freestyle).
In April 2011 she won the first place in her category at the Oase Sprint Triathlon (750m swimming, 20km cycling and 5km running). Overall she had the 2^nd
In April 2011 she also participated in the Dutch Caribbean Invitations swimming competitions in Curaçao where she won gold (50m, 100m and 200m back stroke) and bronze (200m and 800m freestyle)
She won gold (50m, 100m, 200m back stroke and 200m freestyle), silver (50m butterfly, 100m freestyle), bronze (50m freestyle, 100m butterfly and 100m in medley) at the Short course swimming competitions
At the Giovanni Linscheer swimming competitions 2011 she won gold (50m and 100m back stroke), silver (50m, 100m butterfly and 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle stroke) and bronze (200m in medley).
In August 2011 Xiomara participated at the World Championships Triathlon in Lausanne, Switzerland.
In 2012 she was the winner of the women’s competition of the 38^thStaatsolie Swimmarathon, which is the biggest marathon swimming event that is organized every year in Suriname. It is about 18 km which is 8 miles in the Suriname river.

watch?v= Xiomara Getrouw 18km swimmarathon 2012

In April 2013 she won the Oase Powerrade Triathlon with a finishing time of 1:13:28.
In June 2013 Xiomara won the Oase Powerrade duathlon and got the first place with a finishing time of 1:12:35.
In August 2013 Xiomara won the first edition of the Paramaribo ‘High Heel Run’ .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSfSOgGHnEo Title is: High heel Run Suriname 2013

In March 2014 Xiomara broke the MCC (States) school record of backstroke which was set in 1998.
In July 2014 Xiomara became second at the women’s competition of the 40^thStaatsolie Zwemmarathon.
In July 2015 Xiomara won the women’s competition of the 41^stStaatsolie Zwemmarathon in Suriname. This was the second time for her to win at this yearly competition.
In March 2017 Xiomara became All American on the 100 backstroke at the NAIA championships in the States.
In March 2017 she broke a school record at St. Andrews University in North Carolina on the 50 and the 100 backstroke. She also broke a record on the 200 backstroke at the same university in 2016.
In July 2017 Xiomara swam a new Surinamese national record on the 50m backstroke in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
In July 2017 Xiomara participated at the 17th FINA World Championship in Budapest, Hungary.

Xiomara has a special interest for the deaf community. She studies American Sign Language and wants to contribute in better communication and getting attention for this subject.

One of the nicest things about Xiomara is that even though she did and reached so much, she still is modest. She is not arrogant and is very grateful for what is granted to her. This “down to earth” approach of her is of her great features and will help her, together with her strength, faith and ambition to reach the top of the world.

To summarize the above it is safe to say that Xiomara Getrouw is an athlete to remember: a multi talent, swimmer, marathon runner and cycler.

Xiomara Getrouw is one of the persons of Surinamese descendant to be very proud of!

http://www.xiomaragetrouw.com/about/

https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/staff/2014/06/13/rochester-school-for-the-deaf-race-results/10496705/ ( RSD Rochester school of Deaf, a fundraising event)

The website of our organization:

https://www.swimforlifeinternational.com/

My goal is to train for the World championships in July 2018 in South Korea and the biggest dream that I would like to achieve is going to the Olympic Games 2020 Japan, Tokoyo.

Another thing that I am doing right now is that I am in the process of writing a book about my struggles and how I put it in something positive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05m6Gnc9xVw The title is : The deaf Event On March 14, 2015 with Xiomara Getrouw ( Another signing project)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPciCNFxzOM ( In Suriname, explaining about the Dutch and American Sign Language.) Title of the video is: Xiomara Getrouw explains about American and Dutch Sign language for the deaf community