Liemarvin Bonevacia is an example of determination. The 32-year-old sprinter who was born and raised in Curaçao walked a long road to success. What started as a hobby became his passion and turned into a successful journey. His first international competition as an athlete was at the age of 22 at the Olympics in London. Great success never comes without a set of failures. Over the past years he has been into hardships. He lived in several countries, he lost important contracts and he almost gave up on the sports. Fortunately, he did not. The arrival of his baby gave him the extra motivation to keep pushing harder. Nowadays he can proudly mention he tops the 2021 lists with a personal best and national indoor record of 45.99 in the men’s 400m. At this moment he is focusing on a high-level Olympic performance in Tokyo where he will be participating under the Dutch flag. Not only the Netherlands, but also his hometown Curaçao is ready to catch sight of his participation. This social and charismatic athlete knows that soon it will be show time!
“Many runners would say that they were involved into athletics since a very young age. That was not my case. I was always fascinated by volley, soccer and theater. My brother was the one who was practicing athletics. One day I was sitting at SDK watching him practice and I thought I could try it too. Little did I know at the time that this would become fundamental to my future career. It is impossible not to mention that my aunt Soraima Martha represented the Netherlands Antilles in the women’s 200 meters at the Olympics in 1984. Athletics definitely runs in my genes. I cannot imagine my life without it!”Liemarvin mentions at the start of our Zoom meeting.
At the age of 17 Liemarvin started to practice athletics, which is relatively ‘old’ as a starter. It is not only about starting young; it is also about excelling early. “To start at an ‘older age’ means that you need to be more patient and open to learn. I always say that I am a blessed man. I started at 17, at 19 I received a scholarship in Puerto Rico and at the age of 22 I participated at the Olympics in London, my first international competition. When I set a big goal, I build a bottom-up plan to achieve it” he explains.
In 2017 there was a miscommunication with the team in Puerto Rico, so he opted to close that chapter. “When I look back at 2018 and 2019 I must say that those were the most difficult years of my career. In 2018 I had a lot of injuries and in 2019 I created a lifestyle that was not beneficial to my career. I wanted to enjoy life. I was tired of the strict lifestyle that I had since my 19th. On the other hand, the contract that I had back then with Nike came to an end and I was living off my savings. It was not a great period, but it was definitely a lesson to make me stronger for the future” Liemarvin adds. His trajectory before reaching these difficult times in 2019 was a successful journey. He broke the Dutch record, he became the 3rd of Europe and he reached the 11th position of the world. He reached so many achievements in such a short period of time. Ironically, in 2019, he felt that he did not have any goals to reach. “I was not enjoying the sports anymore. I was in my comfort zone and I was actually thinking in quitting. But, I had one more chance to make it right. I had close contact with my Puerto Rican coach and together we left for Bahrain so I could get back to myself. This was an eye opener for me. I promised myself to enjoy the sports and to start investing in myself. This definitely paid off because at the Diamond League in Doha I reached the higher level. It was a combination of different factors and of course, the perfect timing. At that moment the Dutch team also approached me. They wanted me in the Netherlands and to be 100% dedicated to the team and I said yes! “, he explains.
A setback is never a bad experience, just another one of life’s lessons. Past experiences shape the person that we are today and this is also the case of Liemarvin. Fast-forward to 2021, Liemarvin broke the Dutch record; he is an European champion and hit the world’s number one spot. He also received the support of Puma, a German multinational corporation that designs and manufactures athletic and casual footwear, apparel and accessories. “At the age of 32, I can say that I owe my success to my perseverance. I am doing this for my family and me. My family is my backbone. I appreciate their love and their support which means the world to me” Liemarvin continues.
We were having this interview when Liemarvin was still in the Netherlands just a few days prior his trip to the Olympics in Tokyo. “At this moment our team is following a jetlag protocol, which means that we will need to sleep earlier to easily get into the time zone of Japan. It is 7 hours later in Tokyo. For each hour of time difference, the body needs about 24 hours to get back to its normal rhythm. I am excited for this interesting chapter. I must say the Olympic games will be completely different this year due to the pandemic. No spectators will be allowed at any events but I am focused in giving all TV viewers a great show. I will definitely enjoy my ride as if it was the last!”
