As an avid runner and mother of two-year-old daughter Lymée, international supermodel Ymre Stiekema was our first choice to star beside the Bugaboo Runner in this month’s Vogue Netherlands shoot. We caught up to talk about her running habits.
Hailing from the tiny village of Tolbert in the Dutch countryside, where she lived until very recently, Ymre Stiekema (23) is one of the Netherlands’ best-known faces today. Besides shooting ad campaigns for high-end fashion brands such as Prada and posing for Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, Ymre spends time with her family, partner Wouter Komdeur (23) and daughterLymée (2), in Haarlem, and manages to find time in her crazy schedule to work out.
Where are you at the moment and what are you doing?
Ymre: “I’m in Madrid doing a shoot for Harper’s Bazaar and about to travel to Barcelona for wedding dress designer Pronovias.”
Your Instagram followers know that you love to hit the gym and go out for a run. How long have you been running and how did you start?
“I love running, especially in the summer. When it’s cold outside I prefer the gym. My dad has been a marathon runner ever since I can remember so I used to tag along with him. Although, (laughing) 42 km is a bit too far for me!”
Where do you like to run, and what does running mean to you?
“I can’t run at the moment because of an injury, and I recently moved from Tolbert to Haarlem, so I haven’t found my favourite running spot yet, but I always loved running cross-country through the fields. Running is a great way to just empty your head and enjoy the scenery.”
How do you combine sports and your busy schedule?
“It can be pretty difficult at times. When I’m at home, I try to work out every day, and I’ll always put on my workout gear if my hotel has a small gym or the location is good for running. Of course, it’s not the end of the world to miss a workout, I just miss them when I do.”
How has becoming a mother influenced your career as a model?
“It’s a lot harder to be away from home, but it has made me more driven. The best thing is coming home to someone who runs into your arms and says ‘I miss mummy’.”
Your partner is a personal trainer, how did the two of you meet?
“I was fifteen when I first met him, and no, he wasn’t my personal trainer. We met through a mutual friend.”
Is he your personal trainer now?
“I prefer training on my own, but we tend to go to the gym together. I’ll ask him whether I’m doing certain exercises properly and ask him for tips, which is ideal.”
How did you get back in shape after giving birth? Any tips for new mums?
“Breastfeeding really helped me. I couldn’t wait to get back to my workouts after giving birth but you need to wait at least six weeks, which I did. That way I could really focus on Lymée and enjoy just being a mother for a while. It’s important to do something you really like, it can be something different each day: running, weight lifting or yoga.”
You were recently featured in Vogue Netherlands with the Bugaboo Runner. What was it like shooting a campaign with your daughter?
“I loved it and so did Lymée! She always loves seeing my photos and she knows it mum’s work so for her, it was really exciting to come to ‘work’ with me.”
How did she like the Bugaboo Runner?
“We’d only just arrived on set when she said she wanted to sit in the runner. Once we got home, she only wanted to sit in the runner. This summer we’re going to make the most of our new stroller.”
Do you think you’ll be running together more often now?
“Definitely, especially when we start running to the beach. I think Lymée is going to love going fast!”
Vogue editorial images: photography Duy Vo, styling Jetteke van Lexmond, model Ymre Stiekema / VDM Models
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