A conversation with: soigneur Oleh Hetman
Oleh Hetman has been working as a soigneur for Team Jumbo-Visma for several months now. Oleh is 30 years old and grew up in Kharkiv, a city in northeastern Ukraine. Last year, when war broke out between Ukraine and Russia, Oleh tried to get his family and himself to safety. He found safety in the Netherlands. Last December, with the help of communications manager Ard Bierens, Oleh started his adventure with the team. What better than a nice conversation to get to know the cheerful soigneur?
How did your first months with Team Jumbo-Visma go?
"I have already enjoyed it to the fullest. It's nice that you can discover different countries while you are working. Only the changeable weather during the Flemish classics disappointed me a bit... but that seems to be normal according to my colleagues." (laughs) I'm happy that I was part of a group of great people each time. That was also the case when I worked with the men's team for the first time during the 4 Jours de Dunkerque."
"There are also some things that are difficult for me. Especially the language barrier is sometimes hard. There are times when the staff members or the riders communicate with each other in Dutch. I understand that, it is a Dutch team after all. I can't really participate in those conversations, which I find unfortunate. My English is not perfect, but it is good enough to do this job and to communicate. I have already spoken to a Dutch teacher, so I can start learning the language soon."
What is it like to work with the riders?
"It was already very nice to work with the women's team. From the moment I came here, I worked with them. I was part of the first training camp of the season and I accompanied them in the Strade Bianche and the Vuelta Femenina. I know everyone by now and I know what they need. I feel that I get along well with every rider."
"During the 4 Jours de Dunkerque, I was soigneur of the men's team. That was a new experience for me because I was mainly part of the staff around the women's team before that. It took some adjusting because I didn't know a lot of riders yet. I went and looked up some information about them on Instagram and on the team's website." (laughs)
What do you like most about your job?
"What I really enjoy doing is preparing the hotel rooms for the riders. I also enjoy being at the races very much. When the peloton rides by, I can feel the adrenaline rush through my body. It's like you stop breathing for a moment. It takes a lot of concentration to give a bottle to the riders. I'm also ready to take care of the riders when after they have crossed the finish line."
How did you become a physiotherapist?
"I studied at the State Academy of Culture in Kharkiv. I actually graduated as a personal coach, but I quickly realized that didn't suit me. My degree also allowed me to work as a massage therapist and physiotherapist. I decided to focus on that. Among other things, I worked at sports club YOD in Charkiv, which is a huge gym. There I worked mainly with fighters and boxers. In addition, I was also working for a while at a private clinic in the city."
How did you end up joining Team Jumbo-Visma?
"I met Ard (Bierens) in sports club YOD in 2016. At the time, I was helping him get rid of his back problems while he was living in Ukraine. He plays an important role in how I ended up here. When the war with Russia started, he called me to say he wanted to help me and my family flee the country. He arranged that my girlfriend could travel to the Netherlands together with my cousin, after which they lived with a host family. About six months later, I also traveled to the Netherlands."
"While I was taking care of him on the massage table, we often had conversations about the fact that I wanted to work for a professional team. Ard was not yet working as communications manager for the team at the time, but he did remember it. Last October, I arrived in the Netherlands. Two months later I was already given the chance to go on training camp with the team. So without Ard, this would not have been possible."
Are you enjoying the Netherlands?
"Of course I miss Ukraine. I love my country very much. I also like the Netherlands. It's a beautiful country that loves cycling. (laughs) I rode my mountain bike a lot when I was a student, so it's nice that you can bike a lot here too. I might even stay here with my family in the future if that opportunity arises. It's a good place to live."
Did you have anything to do with cycling before working here?
"The cycling fans in Ukraine know about the grand tours. I didn't know much about the sport to be honest. I heard about classics such as Paris-Roubaix and the Strade Bianche, but that's. During the last few months I have already learned a lot more about cycling than when I was still living in Ukraine." (laughs)
You worked mostly with fighters in the past.
"True. I worked with boxers and MMA fighters. The boxers were professional athletes, while the MMA fighters were semi-pro. By now we have some well-known Ukrainian boxers such as Oleksandr Usyk and Volodymyr Klychko. Somehow you can compare the tasks I performed then with the tasks I perform for the cyclists now. I also went along on training camps and I took care of them before and after the fights."
What would you like to wish for the future?
"I would like to adapt to my new situation even more. Last year was difficult. I had some health problems and, of course, there was the war situation in my country. I'm doing it step by step. The team supports me with that. I also want to learn more about cycling, but learning Dutch is definitely a goal as well. That way it will be easier to have conversations with the team members. I'm looking forward to that."
