Deborah Wouters

The Journey of Deborah Wouters

Championing SUP Despite the Odds

There are far more layers to the stories we cover about exceptional people in our sport. It’s the talent, the grind, the grit, the conviction, hard work, and determination that go into play of becoming an elite SUP athlete. But there are also mental and physical battles that are being faced silently, out of the spotlight of the sport’s triumphs and losses.

As we’re publishing this article, Deborah Wouters, Belgian SUP Champion, has been in and out of the hospital, having just undergone a major surgery while she’s managing her chronic health condition, which is a rare blood disorder.

In the run-up to the final stop of the Belgian SUP Tour (BST), SUP4Life on the 17th of December held in Ghent, Belgium, we caught up with Deborah, who was determined to complete the entire Tour (twelve races), but her health condition has put an abrupt stop to it. Staying true to her mantra, “Je peux, je veux et je vais le faire” (“I can, I want to, and I will do it!”), she shares her inspiring story.

Discovering Stand-Up Paddling

From Equestrian Sports to SUP

Hi Deborah, welcome to TotalSUP! How did you discover the sport of stand-up paddling and when did you decide to start competing?

Aloha! Thank you for this great opportunity! It all started three and a half years ago during a heat wave in July. My first assistance dog, a golden retriever named Loulou, was crazy about water, and one evening I came across paddleboarding with your pup. From the ages of 11 to 26, I was heavily competitive in equestrian sports at a national and international level. Due to health reasons, I had to stop abruptly… Yet the competitive spirit has remained alive in me, and I decided to participate in my very first real SUP competition – the Belgian Long Distance Championship – on the 12th of June in 2022. Without any expectations, I became the Belgian Champion among the Elite women SUP athletes. This great victory gave me so many positive vibes that I decided to give it my all and see what is still physically possible and push my limits. My motto is “Je peux, je veux et je vais le faire” (“I can, I want to, and I will do it!”).

Deborah’s Achievements in BST

You have an amazing Belgian SUP Tour (BST) track record. What makes this SUP racing tournament special?

This year, I had set a number of goals. My first goal was to perform well at the various Belgian Championships. I always want to improve myself. The Belgian Championship Ultra Long Distance race was my first big challenge as I was really not used to paddling such long distances, so it was quite a serious physical challenge. Despite all expectations, I achieved a nice second place and became the Vice Champion. During the Belgian Championship Long Distance race, I encountered myself and struggled with severe hypoglycemia after the first few kilometers. Successfully pushing myself to the finish line, I was forced to come to terms with underperforming and dealing with my own limitations. My main focus was on the Belgian Championship Technical Race and Sprints.

I was able to win the Belgian Champion title in both disciplines, which I am very proud of! My second goal was to participate in all Belgian SUP Tour (BST) competitions this year. Not only did it seem like a nice goal, but it was also a good test to find out which disciplines I like the most and want to focus on in the upcoming years. Unfortunately, I will be out of action for a number of weeks due to major surgery and will not be able to participate in the very last BST competition, SUP4Life, of this year in Ghent. So, I have to say bye-bye to achieve my last goal… which is certainly okay and not a shame! Life is full of ups and downs; sometimes you need to let things go and focus on new goals.

You’re a high-ranked pro SUP athlete actively competing but also dealing with a rare blood disease. I hope you don’t mind us asking about it…

I don’t, but it’s not the first thing I would bring up in conversation. Unfortunately, people make up their minds very quickly and give me certain labels. I’d rather not participate in that and keep an open mind for conversation. Everyone has some kind of baggage that they carry with them, medical or otherwise. You have to respect each other, and that’s why I really appreciate it when people have a question or an assumption about me, and they just come up to me and ask me in person. Honesty is the best policy.

Indeed, I have a rare congenital blood disorder that was discovered in 2016 after I spent three weeks in ICU with osteomyelitis (life-threatening bone infection). As a child, I was so ill that in one year, I spent more time in the hospital than I could go to school. It wasn’t a happy childhood… you know how tough children can be on each other. Since then, I have been receiving plasma weekly; this is donor-filtered human blood to supplement the deficiencies in my blood that my body does not produce itself. Without this plasma, I would end up living in danger of serious fatal infections that my body can’t fight off. The treatment is for life, so it becomes a part of it.

Battling a Rare Blood Disorder

The Impact on Sport and Training

How does your condition impact your top-level sport ambitions and day-to-day training?

I am very grateful to receive this treatment. Although there is also the flip side of the coin… The first three days after receiving plasma, I am very nauseous, I vomit a lot, and I feel tired very quickly. On those days, I try not to go outside much because I don’t want people to see me like that. One of the side effects is sudden hypoglycemia, a drop in blood sugar levels. This can cause blurred or tunnel vision, muscle spasms, numbness, or in the worst cases, even loss of consciousness. This does entail some risks when participating in water sports, which is why I now paddle with a sensor that constantly measures my blood sugar levels and can trigger an alarm in time.

Training with a blood disorder is quite difficult. In turn, my body uses calories pretty inefficiently, and I get tired pretty fast and have substantial recovery needs. Complaining about it isn’t going to solve it, so I’d rather keep it in the background and go through life like a normal person. Many of my fellow SUP colleagues and friends do not know. On the outside, you don’t see any disability, and this has its pros and cons. I always plan my weeks well so that when I go paddling, I don’t have to do anything else that day, and I can distribute my energy well. After a competition, I always have to recover for a few days.

People often look at me strangely because I always have someone there to help me. This is certainly not because I am lazy or want to take it easy! For example, help before and after the race (such as carrying my board and ensuring that my equipment is in order) means a lot to me, so that I can save my energy. Giving up is not in my dictionary, but sometimes it is wise to listen to your body. I have learned that this is certainly nothing to be ashamed of. Although that doesn’t always work out well because of my stubborn self, ha, ha!

Deborah’s Motivation and Perspective

The Unique Appeal of SUP

What’s the driving force for you in the sport of stand-up paddleboarding? What makes it unique for you?

As I mentioned before, I’m very competitive. I like to challenge and improve myself. I will never compare myself to others and always look at my own performance after a competition. Regardless of which position I finish, I’m satisfied when I have a good feeling and I think my times and performance are good. It’s a motivation to try to do even better next time. At certain times I end up in a valley where I really can’t do anything and paddling doesn’t feel good. This is really a very frustrating feeling; your mind tells you to work, but your body doesn’t cooperate. I’ve had to learn to accept such moments and try to look on the positive side of things.

Humor is one of those things; there’s nothing like a good laugh! I sometimes dare to make bad jokes when I’m not feeling well or when something isn’t going well. Self-mockery is also part of the coping process. I am certainly very proud when I look back and see what I have already achieved at the SUP competitions over the past year and a half! It just feels really nice to be able to compete with the elite athletes and forget everything else for a while. It feels liberating not to be pushed into a certain box.