Jan Van Berkel takes PTO Athlete of the month

After a thrilling win in his final professional race at Ironman Switzerland Thun (his home race, no less), Switzerland’s Jan Van Berkel has been named the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) Athlete of the Month for July.

Van Berkel finished ahead of American Sarah True and Great Britain’s Joe Skipper to top the voting.

Here’s what Van Berkel told the PTO after winning the accolade:

“It’s a great farewell present and I really appreciate it because I know people voting are the fans and at the end of the day it’s all about them. We wouldn’t be anywhere without the fans on the race course. And second, I also know that the people from the press, the media, they really know about their business. They know the sport and it gives an added value to the prize.”

He also wanted to underline how special his last race win in Thun was for him, his family and supporters:

“For the last race it was pretty special…because everyone that’s at one point helped me get where I am was there. So it was my first coach ever to my mechanic…the aerodynamicists were there. Then some sponsors that really helped me get where I was on a professional level. My whole family and my friends and Daniela Ryf, the winner from last month [June PTO Athlete of the Month] was there. We shared a big time of our career together in the Swiss National teams and also now in Ironman. So that makes winning just that bit more special. I know my people don’t need something back, because they know I gave everything, but it was nice for me to hand them the finish line tape at the end of the day.”

Asked if he felt the pressure of the last race being in his own backyard, Van Berkel said:

“I mean at the end for me, it never felt like pressure because I always use that image of…I’m defending the title and in a literal way that means making sure the next one that takes it is actually worth it and that is maybe yourself. That’s why I didn’t feel the pressure. In the media they really know what was behind those four wins.  I could have retired as the guy who always got seconds at Ironman Switzerland, but now I retire as a four-time champion. I took every single win as a bonus and especially the last one.”

Currently enjoying a well earned break in the Black Forest in south west Germany, Jan also talked about ‘what next’ and how he is determined to stay involved in the sport, albeit without a racing belt around his waist. He also mapped out his own thoughts on the PTO.

“I’m gonna start work on October 1st in a sports startup. I will be attached to the sport, but just without a racing belt around my waist. I have a background in sports law, specializing in sports ethics, so I really want to stay close to the sport when it comes to the matter of anti-doping. And now that we have the PTO taking matters in their own hands, I would really also love to work with the athletes to revolutionize the anti-doping fight.”

“In Swiss German we say that if you really care about something, you try to grow it and you don’t try to grow your slice of it. That’s what I really hope the PTO is going to do. Grow the sport for the professionals, but also the whole sport as it is. Including all the players, including other race organizers, including all the age-groupers, make triathlon bigger, better, more professional in every sense of the word. Make sure it’s clean. Make sure it’s holding up to the highest ethical standards in every kind of way…doping, equality, fairness and also inclusivity. And, at the end, make sure people live a healthy lifestyle.”