At just 3 years old, Special Olympics Netherlands athlete Kenya Koene began dancing. The footwork came naturally, as she followed in the footsteps of her mother, Irene Reniers, a longtime dancer. Inherently, ballroom dancing is based on the concepts of leading and following. As is customary, the male partner leads, keeping time and initiating the next step. Regardless of who leads, the foundation of the dance is built upon the connection shared between partners.
In the mixed ballroom competition of DanceSport at the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025, athletes with individual disabilities are paired with Unified partners, individuals without intellectual disabilities. The other half of Kenya’s pair is Unified partner Tim Spruijt, who Kenya has danced alongside for the past few years. 28-year-old Tim has spent the past 12 years mastering the techniques of ballroom dance. Two seasoned dancers, Kenya and Tim have trained extensively for this moment.
“It’s her dream,” said Irene. “And her dream has really come true now. And she always said, I want to be a world champion, and that’s what she’s going for.”
About dance, Kenya feels “very good,” as she should. Given her 20 years of training, she trusts the hours of practice that led to World Winter Games. Many of those hours were spent at Dansschool Reniers Helmond in Helmond, Netherlands, which is owned and operated by her family. Long before meeting Tim, Kenya had a team of leaders to guide her in her next steps, including her mother and her siblings, who also dance. However, in the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025, Irene leads in a most essential role – as head coach.
“I can differentiate,” explained Irene. “Sometimes I’m a mom. When I’m a coach, I really coach, because then I am not a mom. And she understands that.”
In part, Irene’s coaching has contributed to their selection for the Games, preparing both Kenya and Tim for competition at the highest level. To have her mom as a coach is “fantastic, but she is a little bit tough.”
“You’re not only there to make sure that they can do want they do, but that you help them achieve more than what they think they can do,” said Tim.
Regardless of the Games’ outcome, Tim and Kenya have learned the endless opportunities that dance provides. “This helps with dance as well, because I need to be very clear with her about what I want her to do,” said Tim. “And if you can be clear, you can also do it with other dance partners, which also really helps.” Thinking ahead, Kenya added, “Everything is possible.”
But in dance, impossibility exists. It is impossible for two dance partners to perform seamlessly while choosing their steps independently of each other. The secret to a successful routine is in the interaction between partners. With Tim in the lead, Kenya trusting her guide, they have already won in the connection they are able to share with the world.
