Holding their collective breath: Clarence Kitchen Collecive owner’s sister rows in Olympic final for the Netherlands

It’s been a hard road, but for the sister of Clarence Kitchen Collective owner Mariejke Van Der Vlist is willing a bit of good luck for her sister as she rows for Dutch Olympic gold.

Well known South Grafton business owner Mariejke Van der Vlist (centre) and her family with Marieke's sister Lisa Scheenaard, who will be cheered on in the Olympic double sculls final.

Mariejke Van der Vlist is usually finding a calm place in a yoga class at her South Grafton Clarence Kitchen Collective business.

Not today, though. Around 10am she said she’ll be glued to a screen cheering for a gold medal at the Olympics.

Ms Van der Vlist’s younger sister Lisa Scheenaard will row in the double sculls for her native Netherlands, and she said she’s in with a real shot at gold.

However, according to Ms Van der Vlist, there’s no guarantee her little sister will even make it to the start line.

“We’ll have to see, because four of her travel bubble have tested positive for COVID … and if she tests positive, she’s out,” she said.

“They’re not allowed to use any of the communal areas, the training areas or the dining areas, and they have to go in separate transport.

“It’s a big cloud hanging over their head, and of course there’s the typhoon still hanging around.”

(L-R) Netherlands' Roos De Jong and Netherlands' Lisa Scheenaard compete in the women's double sculls semi-final during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Sea Forest Waterway in Tokyo on July 25, 2021. (Photo by Charly TRIBALLEAU / AFP)

It continues a seemingly endless run of bad luck for Ms Scheenaard, who missed qualifying for a row at the Rio Olympics following her partner having food poisoning.

“They made it through to the final of the last qualification race, even though her partner had food poisoning,” Ms Van der Vlist said.

“They needed to come third or better to qualify, and they came fourth.”

Ms Van der Vlist said her sister started rowing only when she attended university in Eindhoven, and although she had a background in athletics, had rowed just for fun, and developed into an exceptional rower.

“Making an Olympic final, absolutely I’m super proud of her,” she said. “Her dedication through the many hours of training each week, all the setbacks she’s just kept going, I’ve got that much respect for how she is as a person.”

Lisa Scheenaard, who will be cheered on by her sister, well known South Grafton business owner Mariejke Van der Vlist in the Olympic double sculls final.

The double scull duo won both their heat and the semi-final, and will contend for a gold medal, in a race not containing any Australians, putting to rest of any split-loyalties that may lie with her adopted nation of Australia, which her and her husband moved to in 2006.

“I’m not usually that big on watching sports – we don’t even have a television,” Ms Van der Vlist said. “But I’ve got four young kids and they’re all the biggest fans – she’s definitely one of the favourite aunties.

“So we’ll all be sitting there around the app screaming at the screen together, just screaming for her to get over the line.

Fair chance Ms Van der Vlist probably won’t make the start line for that meditation class this morning either.