Page "Fanny Blankers-Koen" Paragraph 3

Blankers-Koen was born Francina Elsje Koen on 26 April 1918 in Lage Vuursche ( near Baarn ) to Arnoldus and Helena Koen.

Her father was a government official who competed in the shot put and discus.

She had five brothers.

As a teenager, she enjoyed tennis, swimming, gymnastics, ice skating, fencing and running.

Standing, she was a natural athlete.

It soon became clear she was a sports talent, but she could not decide which sport to pick.

A swimming coach advised her to do track because there were already several top swimmers in the Netherlands at that time ( such as Rie Mastenbroek ), and she would have a better chance to qualify for the Olympics in a track event.