Durkje Huitema

Durkje Huitema (8 July 1918 - 11 May 2010) was a Dutch female kortebaan speed skater.Het hardrijden in Friesland — Durkje Huitema, Wommels
Leeuwarder Courant, 11 January 1940

Biography

Huitema was born in Wommels, the daughter of Johannes Huitema and IJbeltje Jellema. She had three sisters and a brother.

Huitema was trained to skate by her father. To stay fit in the summer, she swam at the “Bolswarder zweminrichting” and performed gymnastics during the winter.

Huitema won her first speed skating competition as a schoolgirl in 1929, winning 1 gulden. She continued speed skating and worked on her technique. Three years later, in 1932, she won her next prize: the third place at IJsbrechtum winning 3 Guilder. In the winter of 1933, in her hometown, she won three prizes in a row, on 9 December the first prize at a club's pairs competition, 11 December the first prize at a pairs competition with Eelkje de Groot and on 14 December the third prize. Due to her results she achieved confidence in herself and with the support of her father she started competing at individual competitions. On 17 December she won a girls competition of 75 girls in Grouw, a golden watch. The next day she won a competition of 22 women in Heeg