Olaf Schoningh works at DHL Freight and plays for the Dutch national ice hockey team.
All winter sports fans are in for a treat in the coming weeks: the Olympic Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo (Italy) are underway. And one colleague is watching with particular interest: Olaf Schoningh from DHL Freight Netherlands. He is a Process Improvement Advisor - and a professional ice hockey player. His club is the Liège Bulldogs in Belgium, and he also plays for the Dutch national team. The team currently ranks 30th in the world, placing them in Division I, Group B – the third tier of international ice hockey.
Since the age of four, Olaf has been swapping his shoes for skates for part of the day. For four years now he has been playing professionally in league competition and has already taken part in several international ice hockey tournaments. His position: Forward (left wing and center for the experts).
Tight schedule
How does he manage it all? “Basically, I have two full-time jobs. It’s exhausting, but I really enjoy it. That’s why the stress is worth it,” Olaf explains. He is responsible for Customer Implementations, coordinating the onboarding of new customers by aligning processes and setting up the required connections to ensure a smooth and fast start. After work, he drives from Eindhoven to Liège for training and usually doesn’t return home until around midnight. At least one day per week is reserved for recovery and family time before the Central European Hockey League games take place on the weekend.
His colleagues are also his fans. “We recently played in the final of the league’s cup, and several colleagues came to watch. That meant a lot to me. And: we won,” he says with a laugh.
A pro who is also a fan
If a tournament like the annual IIHF World Championship is coming up, where teams compete for promotion and relegation within the divisions, Olaf takes vacation time to compete. He also enjoys watching the best of the best. His favourite player is the Canadian Connor McDavid, why he cheers for Canada as Olympic champion: “I’m really looking forward to the Winter Games. For the first time since 2014, NHL players are allowed to compete in the Olympic ice hockey tournament again. The matches will be world-class.”
