Wijda Mazereeuw
A Dutch breaststroke pioneer whose world championship medals helped pave the way for the Netherlands' later swimming dominance.
Born 1953 (age 73)·Dutch swimmer·Birthday: August 11·Baby Boomers
Biography
In the era before Dutch women like Inge de Bruijn and Ranomi Kromowidjojo became household names, Wijda Mazereeuw was breaking ground in the breaststroke lanes. Competing through the 1970s, she represented the Netherlands at a time when its swimming prowess was still developing. Her career peak came at the 1975 World Aquatics Championships in Cali, Colombia, where she seized silver medals in both the 100m and 200m breaststroke, proving she could compete with the world's best. Though Olympic glory eluded her—she was eliminated in the heats at both the 1972 and 1976 Games—her relay contribution in Montreal helped the Dutch medley team to a fifth-place finish. Mazereeuw's consistency and technical skill made her a national champion and a respected figure in European swimming. Her successes in the mid-70s provided a crucial benchmark, demonstrating that Dutch swimmers could stand on the global podium and inspiring the next wave of talent.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Wijda was born in 1953, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Wijda Was Born
The biggest hits of 1953
#1 Movie
Peter Pan
Best Picture
From Here to Eternity
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Wijda's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1953Born
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1958Started school
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1966Became a teenager
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Could drive
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1971Could vote
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Turned 21
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1983Turned 30
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 40
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 50
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 60
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 70
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 73 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the silver medal in both the 100m and 200m breaststroke at the 1975 World Aquatics Championships in Cali.
- Won a bronze medal as part of the Dutch 4x100m medley relay team at the 1975 World Championships.
- Was a multiple-time Dutch national champion in breaststroke events throughout the 1970s.
- Represented the Netherlands at two consecutive Olympic Games, in 1972 (Munich) and 1976 (Montreal).
Did You Know?
Her world championship silver medals in 1975 were among the first major international medals for a Dutch female swimmer in that era.
She competed in the individual medley at the 1972 Olympics before specializing in breaststroke.
After retiring, she remained involved in swimming as a coach and administrator in the Netherlands.
Her time of 1:14.29 in the 100m breaststroke at the 1975 Worlds remained a strong Dutch standard for years.
“I just wanted to swim fast and win.”
