During the Amstel Gold Race, Team SD Worx is committed to the TRADE project, a crowdfunding project of the University Fund Limburg / SWOL. This promotion is a collaboration of the Limburg-based women’s cycling team Team SD Worx with the Limburg University Fund, Maastricht University and Mondriaan Zorggroep during the largest sports event in Limburg, the Amstel Gold Race.
Resilience is one of the most important qualities you need to be able to succeed as a cyclist. You have to overcome setbacks, get up again after falling, never let yourself be crushed mentally, let injuries heal and be able to put disappointments aside.
It’s a cliché, but it’s a truth you should never forget: you lose more in top sport than you win. The involvement of crashes are sometimes traumatic experiences. And yet we always have the will to put all this aside in order to eventually be able to win together with the team.
For this reason, the TRAuma and DEmentia (TRADE) project of senior psychiatrist and researcher Sjacko Sobczak, who works at Mondriaan and Maastricht University, appeals to us as Team SD Worx cycling team and we want to commit ourselves to this during the Amstel Gold Race on Sunday 18 April 2021.
Her research shows that traumatic experiences can cause serious psychiatric complaints. It even doubles the risk of dementia. The problem is also that when people develop dementia, the experiences of the traumatic experience reappear in all vehemence.
Sobczak: “But not everyone who goes through a traumatic experience develops problems. This has to do with resilience, among other things. Some of this resilience may already be in your DNA, but other factors also play a role, such as your physical condition and whether you live healthy. Exercise, healthy eating and limiting the use of stimulants not only keep you physically but also mentally fit.
Fortunately, you can also invest in resilience. You can support your body during this time so that your stress system does not leave too many disastrous consequences. By consciously seeking relaxation or performing light exercise outside, you can let the stress system rest for a while.
Exercise ensures that muscle tissue increases, optimizes oxygen transport and decreases fat tissue. Illnesses as a result of stress (eg diabetes and cardiovascular diseases) have less chance. Sports also promotes a good night’s sleep, which is essential for recovery and maintenance of your resilience.
The importance of sport is also evident in this time of corona. Many people have experienced stress in the past year. In many people, the resilience is reduced after such a long time of uncertainities. We have to start believing again that we have resilience and that we can do something about it. We cannot avoid that stress comes our way in life. We need that too. In that regard, dealing with stress is fitness. Sports is a first investment. The riders of Team SD Worx are an example for a lot people in this regard. We cannot change the entire crisis – but we can change how we deal with it! ”
Team SD Worx believes it is important to regularly commit to a social cause. In 2019, people cycled during the Amstel Gold Race to raise money for breast cancer research through Pink Ribbon. This year, the women’s cycling team has decided to donate their prize money of the Amstel Gold Race to the University Fund Limburg / SWOL for the TRADE project.
In addition, Team SD Worx is donating a Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7 (2020 edition) equipped with SRAM Red eTAP. (retail value approximately 11,000 euros) that is sold by auction. There are also five Team SD Worx cycling jerseys signed by all riders available on the Maastricht University crowdfunding website via the link below. This promotion runs from Friday April 16 to Sunday April 25, the day of the cycling classic Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
Finally, everybody who is interested can donate money via our special Team SD Worx campaign page.
More information about the crowdfunding and promotion of Team SD Worx can be found via this link.