Stories
Goosebumps in sports | Frédérique Matla
Goosebumps moments in sport: Frédérique Matla
Years of training, suffering, pushing boundaries, injuries, letting things go and always with full focus on that one moment with the ultimate result. Every athlete hopes that they will get into a flow in which everything works out, the right choices are made intuitively that turn out to be decisive for the win. The goal for which everything had to give way. In the still early existence of STOX Energy Socks, there have not yet been any global goosebumps moments with a STOX Energy Socks on, but that will hopefully change in 2021. We asked our STOX ambassadors about their favorite sports moment that gives them goosebumps when they see it again and asked them to explain the moment from their perspective. And they succeeded, every time goosebumps…
Hockey international and player of Den Bosch, European Championship gold: 2017 & 2019, World Cup gold: 2018, STOX ambassador since 2018
There I was sitting on the couch with my parents watching the final of the horizontal bar on August 7, 2012. This should be Epke Zonderland's moment on his beloved part of the horizontal bar. He was the towering favourite. Everyone in the room and at home wondered one thing: is he going to do it or not?!?. Does he go for it and then he would most likely also take gold or he would take a big risk by doing something unique. He is the only one who can do three flight elements in a row. This has never been done before in an official game and is now the time to do it? We're talking about the final of the Olympic Games where the whole world is watching you. This tension was present everywhere and felt by everyone. You can make up for a mistake in a hockey, football or other sports competition. You still have the whole game. You can even adjust your tactics to make up for the deficit and win. In this sport you literally and figuratively fall hard and then you have nothing, nothing at all. And then you get the whole world around you who start asking questions in the trend of: Couldn't you have gone for safe... I'm also curious when and how he came to this decision. Was it already before he went to London, or only the warming up after everything felt good. So that choice whether or not to go for it, that confidence in yourself must be gigantic, the feeling that you can do it at that moment and then do it, is of course very special and makes this moment magical for me. And then of course the shot of him landing, walking away knowing it worked with that slightly arrogant smile I think is just brilliant.
Hans van Zetten's commentary is fantastic and definitely helps. This will take you all the way. “And he stands and I stand too”. Brilliant. The audience goes wild during the exercise and especially during the flight elements. Also pay close attention to the repetitions of the flight elements at the moment of grabbing. That's all just fine.
The reaction of its competitors is also remarkable. They also enjoy it. They were there when Epke wrote history. Some are just really happy for him that it worked out. Goosebumps every time I see it.
The reaction of its competitors is also remarkable. They also enjoy it. They were there when Epke wrote history. Some are just really happy for him that it worked out. Goosebumps every time I see it.
