City Medal for Wil IJsseldijk

Deputy Mayor Rob de Geest awarded the Deventer City Medal to Wil IJsseldijk as a special recognition for his more than 37 years of dedication to speed skating in Deventer and the region.

Wil IJsseldijk was active for many years as a skating coach at SportiefOost.nl, the Deventer Ice Club (DIJC), and the Hengelo Ice Club (HIJC). He not only gave weekly training sessions but also supervised many competitions in, among others, Deventer, Heerenveen, Groningen, Assen, and Enschede. Besides his enthusiastic and expert coaching approach, he is known for his personal attention to both recreational skaters and talented competitors.

Wil IJsseldijk played an important role in the development of several top athletes. For example, in their youth, he coached Mark Tuitert, Jan Smeekens, and Ronald and Michel Mulder, all successful Olympic skaters.

The application for the City Medal is widely supported due to his extensive technical knowledge, long-term involvement, and valuable contribution to the skating community. The award ceremony took place during the annual club evening of SportiefOost.nl at De Scheg.