Martha Hemminga

Last updated

Martha Hemminga
Martha Hemminga.jpg
Personal information
Full nameMartha Jans Hemminga
Born(1900-04-17)17 April 1900
Sitebuorren
Died12 June 1968(1968-06-12) (aged 68)
Aldeboarn
Sport
Country Netherlands
Sport Speed skating (kortebaanschaatsen)

Martha Jans Draaisma-Hemminga (17 April 1900 - 12 June 1968) was a Dutch female kortebaanschaatsen speed skater. [1] [2] In the period of 1917 to 1924 she was one of the best Frisian kortebaan speed skaters. She won a total of 48 first prizes. [3]

Contents

Biography

As a little girl, skating did not go very well. As a teenager, she became good at it, skating on Lantinga skates. [4] She won her first prize in Oldeboorn on 24 January 1917 at a competition with men's and women's where she finished second. On 26 January she competed, together with her brother Piet in Oldeboorn, winning the fourth prize. On 28 January she won for the second time a first prize in Terhorne. Days after this victory she won many 9 other races, including winning a golden watch in Bolsward. In later years she won many more competitions and was one of the best Frisian speed skaters. Her main rivals were: Feikje Rijpkema, Rienkje Paulusma and Gelsche Brouwer.

Martha had a clear opinion about agreements who would win a competition and sharing the prize money (In Frisian sharingjen). Hemminga never shared because, in her opinion, sharing is like coming home with honor without money or coming home with money and without honor.

Hemminga usually signed up for competitions via the Leeuwarder Courant the local newspaper, which was delivered to their farm by post around noon every day. However, if the mail came too late, she was unable to register in time, and missed competitions. [5] Sometimes she went to competitions by train. If it was possible she went on skates. If the ice wasn't strong enough, she walked. Sometimes it was a long journey across dark dikes and muddy trails, using a stall lantern if it was dark. For example, in February 1917, she went skating from Oldeboorn to Sloten where she won the competition. Arriving there, she had to compete in the first round against the strongest skater. For most competition the first round was a random draw who had to skate against who. According to Hemminga this method was not fair of organizing competitions. She also didn't like the timing races (instead of racing against each other). Hemminga could ride the 120 metre in 12 seconds (Bolsward, 1917) and the 160 metre in 16.8 seconds (Leeuwarden, 1922).

During the last years of her career she lost to rising stars like Janna van der Meulen who was seven years younger. During the competition in Warga on 17 January 17 1924, Hemminga would have said to Van der Meulen: "Be a bit easy with me today, because I've been up all night, many of our pigs got piglets". Poet Cornelis Kasje wrote the poem about the Hemminga and Van der Meulen:

Daar staat ze weer, die stoere ijsvorstin,  Zij zal haar krachten nog eens tonen.  Maar naast haar staat een jonge ijsheldin. Een nieuwe ster op het ijs, uit Frieslands schonen.  Twee sterren op het ijs, een glorieuze kracht.  De een straks zacht verbleekt, de ander een schitterpracht.

Personal

Hemminga was born on a farm on Sitebuorren near Grou. She was one of the youngest the family Hemminga, consisting of 11 children. Her brother, Piet, was also a speed skater. She married Ruurd Jacobx Draaisma on 9 May 1923 in Grou. [6] Hemminga is the aunt of successful speed skater Trijntje Hemminga.

Achievements

Hemminga in 1924 against Janna van der Meulen Janna van der Meulen en Martha Hemminga.jpg
Hemminga in 1924 against Janna van der Meulen

List is not complete. In total she won 48 first prizes. [7]

1916-17
2nd prize - 24 January 1917 in Oldeboorn (men's and women's together)
1st prize - 25 January 1917 in Nes
4th prize - 26 January 1917 in Oldeboorn (men's and women's together; together with her brother Piet)
1st prize - 28 January 1917 in Terhorne
1st prize - 29 January 1917 in Workum
1st prize - 30 January 1917 in Rottevalle
1st prize - 31 January 1917 in Deersum
1st prize - 1 February 1917 in Langezwaag
1st prize (golden watch) - 2 January 1917 in Bolsward
1st prize - 4 February 1917 in Beesterzwaag
1st prize - 5 February 1917 in Oudkerk
1st prize - 6 February 1917 in Haren
1st prize - 9 February 1917 in Sloten
1919-20
1st prize - 16 December 1919 in Helpman
1st prize - 21 January 1920 in Meppel (men's and women's competition; together with Jacob Faber van Hempens)
1st prize - 2 February 1920 in Wolvega
4 February 1920 in Haren
1st prize
Medal fastest race (150 metres in 18.6 seconds)
1st prize - 9 February 1920 in Gorredijk
1921-22
1st prize (f 50) - 30 November 1921 in Akkerwoude
1st prize - 1 December 1921 in Drachten
4 December 1921 in Grou
1st prize
Medal fastest race
28 January 1922 in Oudkerk
1st prize
Medal fastest race
1st prize - 8 February 1922 in Leeuwarden (De IJsclub)
1st prize - 9 February 1922 in Sloten
1st prize - 10 February 1922 in Zwaagwesteinde
1st prize - 11 February 1922 in Leeuwarden (Oldehoven)
1st prize - 13 February 1922 in Dokkum
1923-24

Total prize money 1923-24: f 280

1st prize (f 60) - 9 January 1925 in Heerenveen

Related Research Articles

<i>Elfstedentocht</i>

The Elfstedentocht is a long-distance tour skating event on natural ice, almost 200 kilometres (120 mi) long, which is held both as a speed skating competition and a leisure tour. It is held in the province of Friesland in the north of the Netherlands, leading past all eleven historical cities of the province. The tour is held at most once a year, only when the natural ice along the entire course is at least 15 centimetres (6 in) thick; sometimes on consecutive years, other times with gaps that may exceed 20 years. When the ice is suitable, the tour is announced and starts within 48 hours.

De Fryske Marren Municipality in Friesland, Netherlands

De Fryske Marren is a municipality of Friesland in the northern Netherlands. It was established 1 January 2014 and consists of the former municipalities of Gaasterlân-Sleat, Lemsterland, Skarsterlân and parts of Boarnsterhim, all four of which were dissolved on the same day. The municipality is located in the province of Friesland, in the north of the Netherlands, and has a population of 51,430 and a combined area of 559.93 km2 (216.19 sq mi).

Sjoerdje Faber Dutch speed skater

Sjoerdje Venema-Faber, was a Dutch long-distance speed skater. She was the only woman who reached the finish in the 1940 Elfstedentocht, the most prestigious speed skating race and tour on natural ice in the Netherlands over 200 km. Over the years she finished the tour five times.

Fokje van der Velde Dutch speed skater

Fokje van der Velde was a Dutch kortebaan speed skater in the 1930s and 1940s. She won a total of around 80 prizes. She won the 1942 Dutch national championships kortebaanschaatsen.

Janna van der Meulen Dutch speed skater

Janna de Boer-van der Meulen was a Dutch kortebaanschaatsen speed skater.

Griet Bijlsma Dutch speed skater

Griet Hoogstins-Bijlsma was a Dutch kortebaanschaatsen speed skater.

Jeltje van der Werf

Jeltje Gerrits van der Werf was a Dutch kortebaanschaatsen speed skater. She skated her first race in 1870 in Dokkum. She won her first race in 1871 in Oudkerk. A week later, she won individually in Oudkerk, and again in Leeuwarden. She won several more races. At the age of 24, she was called the fastest woman. In that period she married. However, twenty weeks after the marriage, her husband died. As a widow, she won over a thousand gulden in prize money and some prestigious races.

Makke Lambers-Groen also written as Martha Groen was a Dutch female kortebaanschaatsen speed skater.

Jitske de Boer Dutch speed skater

Jitske Altena-de Boer also written as Jitsche de Boer was a Dutch female kortebaanschaatsen speed skater.

Klaasje Hofstee was a Dutch female kortebaanschaatsen speed skater.

Trijntje Hemminga Dutch speed skater

Trijntje van Zinderen-Hemminga was a Dutch kortebaanschaatsen speed skater. Prizes she won consisted of money prizes, art pieces and medals. She won three times the bronze medal at the first three Dutch National Kortebaan Speed Skating Championships: in the winter of 1932–33, 1933–34 and 1938–39.

Trijntje Terpstra was a Dutch female kortebaan speed skater.

Houkje van der Meer was a Dutch female kortebaan speed skater.

Lutske Wester Dutch speed skater

Lutske Wester was a Dutch kortebaan speed skater.

Gelske Venema-Brouwer Dutch speed skater

Gelske Venema-Brouwer was a Dutch female kortebaanschaatsen speed skater. During her 28-year speed skating career she won a total of 77 prizes and 20 premiums.

Annie van der Meer Dutch speed skater

Annie van der Steeg-Van der Meer was a Dutch kortebaan speed skater, with her best results in the 1950s. During her career she won a total of 75 prizes. She became twice Frisian champion and won the silver medal at the national championships.

Tietje Spannenburg-Pagels Dutch speed skater

Tietje Spannenburg-Pagels was a Dutch kortebaan speed skater. Spannenburg-Pagels was born in Hallum. She later lived in Wommels.

Annie de Jong-Zondervan Dutch speed skater

Annie de Jong-Zondervan was a Dutch female athlete, specialized in long jump and hurdles, and kortebaan speed skater from Huizum.

Lien van der Mei Dutch speed skater

Lien van der Mei sometimes written as Lina van der Mei was a Dutch kortebaan speed skater in the 1940s and 1950s from Langezwaag. She was in her era one of the best known women’s kortebaan speed skaters.

Durkje Huitema Dutch speed skater

Durkje Huitema was a Dutch female kortebaan speed skater.

References

  1. Rijpkema, J. H. (17 May 1936). "Gedenkschrift bij het 50-jarig bestaan van den Frieschen IJsbond 1886-1936, alsmede iets over hardrijders en hardrijdsters in vroeger en later jaren". Noord-Nederlandsche Boekhandel. p.  127-129 via Koninklijke Bibliotheek.