Do about Expedition Robinson: ‘When I heard my children’s voices, I broke in two’

We called her.

The final was broadcast on TV on Sunday. How did you experience that?

‘My mailbox just exploded with so many sweet messages, really unbelievable. People write that I have said such beautiful things and that I am an example for them. That’s quite an honor. At the same time, I think it’s crazy that the program is finished. I’m falling into a black hole now, haha. While watching the episodes, I experienced everything all over again. Then you can see in detail what happened on the other islands. Each time I was anxiously watching, even though I already knew how it would end. It was a very special time in which I rediscovered myself.’

What have you learned about yourself?

‘I discovered how strong I actually am, something that I sometimes doubt, just like everyone else. I have also become aware of my mental flexibility. Physically I am of course not Anouk (Maas, ed.), but the joke is that it is not just about that. You are constantly working strategically. Okay, this test looks like this, where do I have to gain time, when do I give everything in the expedition and when can I slow down because I don’t want to shoot all my gunpowder? What also helped is that I was comfortable in the group. That they could rely on me and vice versa.’

You first participated ten years ago. You are now the mother of Jip and Loulou. Did that make your expedition look different?

‘Yes, of course. But the first expedition was also different, because I was just getting divorced at the time. I was mentally very different. When I had nothing to do for a while, I thought: I have a lot to solve at home, but now I am sitting here doing nothing. At one point I felt that I had to go home. I’ve always regretted that. Now I thought: yes, it is super hard to leave those kids behind, but I don’t have to worry at all. I actually liked it, some me-time. Don’t be that working mother who twists herself in a thousand turns to arrange a babysitter, make lunch boxes or buy gifts for classmates. I didn’t even have to think about the food, because there wasn’t on the island, haha. But I have also blocked my lack of home on the island, you know.’

Read also
Do: ‘I want to dance, dance, cuddle, party and enjoy life until the early hours’ >

And then came that trial where you heard your children’s voices. How was that?

“Yeah, that’s when I really broke in two. It was the toughest day of my expedition, as I was extremely thrown back on my emotions. While puzzling I heard out of the blue my daughter ‘dear mama’. I immediately started crying and could hardly stand on my legs. For a moment I let it wash over me, because my tears prevented me from seeing the numbers on the puzzle. It was bittersweet: on the one hand I loved hearing their voices again, but at the same time it was terrible. I don’t want this at all, I thought. I had blocked that lack for 29 days and now I was suddenly confronted with it at an unexpected moment. But that I was able to pick myself up afterwards and win the test, gave me so much confidence. Once back on the island, I chose to watch my family’s video. That gave me a lot of peace and energy. On such an island you realize again that family is the most important thing.’

What was it like to see your family again after such a long time?

‘That was so intense, so beautiful. The first time I saw them on FaceTime, when I just got off the island, I cried really hard. Jip was shocked and thought: Mom, why are you crying so much? Once at home I tried to limit those emotions a bit, because he didn’t understand that very well. When I saw my children again, I held them for an hour. I had brought all kinds of things from the island, such as beautiful shells and the immunity rings I won. My mosquito nets and sleeping bags will soon be in a tree house in our garden. They think that’s fantastic.’

You ended up fourth. You were really upset about that, weren’t you?

‘Yes, I would have loved to win. My biggest frustration was the fact that I had been turning the wrong screw for five minutes, which meant that I lost a lot of time. During the game explanation you are full of adrenaline, so that you sometimes don’t pay attention. And that happened by chance during the final. So when I was out, I had to swallow a few times on top of that platform. But after five minutes of bummed out, I thought: it’s okay. This is also part of the game. But I had actually seen myself winning, I had even manifested it in my head. Now I have to be honest: even if I had been an hour ahead of Robbert (Rodenburg, ed.), I would never have hit those axes. That was little consolation, haha.’

More Kek Mama? Subscribe now and take advantage of great offers!