While some of Jutta Leerdam's 4.2 million Instagram followers may know her as an influencer, a style icon (she graced the cover of Elle Nederland in June 2022), or Jake Paul's girlfriend, her true claim to fame is her sporting ability. The Dutch native is an award-winning speedskater with a long list of accolades. As of June 2023, she was a five-time World Champion and an Olympic silver medalist in the Women's 1000m.
But she's more than just a pro athlete. As she proudly told Welingelichte Kringen, "I am a diva and a monster" and there are many facets to her. That would explain why she pursued a bachelor's degree in marketing and commercial economics at the Netherlands' Hanze University of Applied Sciences, so she could have options. "I prefer to study alongside my sport and to use my brain after my sporting career is over," she once explained, per Infostrada Sports. "I don't want my world to rely solely on sport." As for how she got into speed skating in the first place, it was trial and error. After playing hockey for eight years, she realized team sports weren't for her. "The individual aspect of skating appeals to me," she mused. "You have complete control over the end result yourself." What she does rely on is a solid playlist of Beyonce, Justin Bieber, and Eminem (in that order) before competitions. "At the end of the song, I'm like collapsing from all my nerves and then I can start and I'm super excited," she told Skating ISU.
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