Where Are They Now? Feike Waque: Racing Champion Turned Wheelchair Design Expert
A wooden plaque hangs on a wall in Denmark, its brass engraving still gleaming after more than three decades – a testament to a long life of sports.
“SPORTS N SPOKES Junior Athlete of the Year – 1993,” reads the inscription, commemorating a time when Feike Waque was a young Dutch athlete known for his prowess across multiple adaptive sports. Yet surrounding it are his wheelchair racing medals – testament to the discipline that would become his true calling.
“I have had arthritis from a very young age, since I was 6 or 7,” Waque says. “I started with various sports like swimming and table tennis. Through a friend, I got introduced to wheelchair racing – and I liked that the best, so I kept doing it. I started racing when I was about 11, pretty young.”
At seventeen, Waque was already distinguishing himself among other talented young athletes. He immediately fell in love with sports and quickly developed his skills, receiving crucial early support from Chris Pedersen at Top End who provided him with sponsorship for wheelchairs, apparel and other equipment—a significant help given the high cost of specialized chairs, even at that time.
Originally from Holland, Waque is a decorated para-athlete and influential advocate for adaptive sports in his home country. As a prominent spokesperson for the adaptive sports community, Waque has made numerous appearances on local radio, television and at sporting events.
In the swimming pool, Waque had dominated multiple disciplines, holding Dutch national records in six events: the 25m and 50m distances in breaststroke, backstroke and freestyle, as well as the 100m breaststroke and freestyle. His achievements extend to the international stage, where he held world records in the L2S classification for the 25m breaststroke, backstroke, freestyle and the 100m freestyle.
On the track, Waque’s accomplishments spanned multiple distances. He claimed Dutch national titles in the 800m and 1500m events in 1990, followed by championships in the 200m, 400m, and 10,000m in 1992. His prowess in long-distance events is particularly notable, having won the Rotterdam Half Marathon three times (1989, 1990, and 1992), along with several top finishes in marathons throughout Europe.
Beyond his athletic achievements, Waque demonstrated his commitment to nurturing the next generation of para-athletes. He served as a role model for young athletes, even donating two of his racing chairs to aspiring competitors to encourage their participation in adaptive sports.
Receiving The Award
The Junior Athlete of the Year award came as an unexpected honor for Waque, who had been competing exclusively against adults due to the absence of junior-specific events at the time. He was particularly moved that a prestigious wheelchair sports magazine—something unprecedented in Europe—would recognize a young European athlete purely on athletic merit, even without his knowledge of being considered.
“I was really surprised because I didn’t even know that you [SNS] had heard of me,” Waque says. “Back then, there wasn’t anything specifically for juniors – no junior races or competitions. You were always competing with adults. So it was unusual, but also very special that a prestigious sports magazine – which we didn’t have an equivalent to in Europe, a magazine dedicated solely to wheelchair sports – would recognize a junior athlete from Europe based on athletic merit.”
The award’s presentation was modest compared to today’s award ceremonies. “The award was mailed to me – I was still living with my parents at the time. I think my mom handed it to me, or maybe it was a friend. I can’t quite remember. I know we took a picture and sent it in, and that was published in the magazine – just a small picture and article, I believe.”
The magazine itself held special significance for the young athlete. “I remember being particularly fascinated by all the advertising in SPORTS N SPOKES. They featured American products, like Bob Hall equipment, that we didn’t have access to here in Europe. That was really special.”
Post Award Career
Waque’s racing career gained momentum rapidly in Europe, where he competed primarily in road races and some track events. His breakthrough came at the 1994 World Championships, reaching finals in both 800m and 1500m at just 17, though he found himself outmatched by veterans like Jeff Adams. While he qualified for the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics, his arthritis diagnosis made him ineligible under classification rules, abruptly ending his wheelchair racing career.
“After I left wheelchair racing, I transitioned to hand cycling through a friend who was still in the wheelchair sports business. Hand cycling was really growing in Europe around ’97, ’98 – it was just getting started. Since there weren’t any classification rules at that time, I could easily compete. I did it for several years, but I never felt the same passion for it as I had for wheelchair racing. They’re totally different sports – wheelchair racing is much more technical, while hand cycling is much more about power. It just wasn’t my sport. I still do it now for fun with some other people, but not competitively.”
While Waque achieved notable success with a fourth-place World Championship finish, he found greater satisfaction in defeating elite competitors at their peak. Rather than focusing on medals, he derived the most meaning from victories over champions like Jeff Adams and Philippe Couprie, measuring himself against the sport’s biggest names when they were at their competitive best.
Today, Waque has transformed his passion into his profession. “Even now, while it’s much more international, there are still some brands that are primarily European or American. These days we can find everything on the internet, but back then we couldn’t. Getting that [SNS] magazine was special – it let you see what was out there. Actually, I still work with wheelchairs today – that’s why I moved to Denmark. I work for a wheelchair company called Wolturnus. We specialize in customized wheelchairs, not just for daily use but also for racing, cycling, tennis, basketball, and other sports. So I really turned my passion into my work.”
At Wolturnus, Waque continues his involvement with adaptive sports by helping European athletes obtain custom wheelchairs. Drawing from his racing experience, he oversees the measurement and adjustment process as chairs are built on-site, ensuring each athlete’s specific requirements are met through precise customization.
From his position at Wolturnus, Waque has observed the remarkable growth of Paralympic sports since his competitive days. While he attended the London Games as a spectator, he’s seen the Paralympics expand dramatically in both audience size and athletic caliber.
“I was in London as a spectator. I couldn’t make it to Paris, but in general, you can see that the Paralympics has grown tremendously – not just in terms of spectators, but in competition level too. The competition is much more professional than it was in ’95, ’96.
His work with Paralympic gold medalists in handcycling and triathlon has shown him firsthand the heightened professionalism required to compete at today’s Paralympic level. He’s also noted significant improvements in media coverage, particularly in European countries like England, Denmark, and Holland.
For young athletes today, Waque offers clear advice born from experience: “I think the best advice is to do the sport that you love. Nowadays – I don’t know how it is in America – but I sometimes see that if a kid is good at an adaptive sport, all the teams and coaches want them because of their talent,” says Waque.
“But if your heart isn’t in that sport, you’ll never reach the top. These days you have to train so hard and be so professional to get there. Your heart has to be in it. Of course, you need a good trainer and good equipment – that’s true for all sports – but I think having your heart in it is essential, otherwise it doesn’t work.”