WHY?!…
It’s the question I hear more often than I expected when I started this journey. Why a bionic leg? Why the desert?
The short answer: because both are just crazy and exciting enough to matter and follow.
The long answer begins years ago.
In 2015, Dafne Schippers set her 100m world record at 10.81 seconds. That same year, Marlou van Rhijn – running on blades – finished in 12.80. A difference of two full seconds. Of course, no two athletes are the same. But those two seconds sparked a thought I couldn’t let go: What if the technology simply isn’t there yet to truly match the human body?
Fast forward to 2023. I sat down with prof. Massimo Sartori, head of the Neuromuscular Robotics Lab at the University of Twente. Together, we set ourselves a crazy challenge: to push the boundaries of bionic prosthetics further than ever before.
THE UNIQUE APPROACH
Sensor band being 3D printed with 3 different materials.
Science, especially fundamental research like this, often takes years before results reach the public eye. I decided to do things differently: to open the doors from day one. To document, share, and invite you into the journey — from science to sand.
First prototype of sensor band during testing.
Right now, we’re collecting the very first data with new sensor technologies and building digital twins. In November 2025, I will run the Half Marathon des Sables in Jordan together with my brother Eelko — to capture the first data on movement in extreme sports and desert conditions.
Next years, para-athletes will step in, wearing and testing the technology. Their stories, together with the work of engineers and the support teams, will shape our path to one bold goal:
Running the Marathon des Sables — 250 km through the desert — with a bionic leg in 2030.
A journey worth following
What I also find very exciting, is the parallel between the scientists and the athletes. On the surface, they live in different worlds — one in the lab, one on the track. But look closer, and their journeys are the same. Both face setbacks, frustrations, pressure and moments of doubt. Both experience breakthroughs, small wins, and the rush of progress. It’s a similar rhythm of falling forward, learning, adjusting, and trying again, and again.
Eventually, these two journeys will “zip” together — intertwining more often and more closely as the start of the Marathon des Sables in 2030 approaches. It will all culminate in that magical moment where the athlete is running on technology shaped by science, and the scientist is inspired by the determination of the athlete. In that moment, the story becomes one.
What can you do?
A lot. Every big journey begins with small steps (yes, I see that one…) — and this is where you come in.
Follow the journey: share it, talk about it, spread the word.
Cheer us on: your encouragement fuels everyone involved.
Support and sponsor: yes, we need a lot to get there — funding, partners, and resources. Every contribution, big or small, makes a real difference.
We like the crazy ambition - and we feel that you do too! We’ve taken the first steps (…). With your support, we can take the next. And the next. Until, together, we’ve turned “crazy”, and “impossible” into reality — making everyday life for amputees more comfortable and (if they want) more competitive.
👉 Check back regularly, as we will update the possibilities for you to join and help us!