- People
- 26/05/2025
Marijn rides roller coaster Troy 285 times in 24 hours
Spending a full day and a night on a roller coaster – why would someone do such a thing? Fifteen out of the twenty-four people who took part in the Troy Coaster Challenge at Toverland amusement park this weekend managed to stick it out. Student Marijn Lenders was one of them and shares his story with Cursor.
Master’s student in Computer Science and Engineering Marijn Lenders does not like risks and has difficulty making decisions sometimes. But the decision to spend 24 hours on the Benelux’s longest, tallest, and fastest wooden coaster was an easy one for him. Troy reaches speeds of 90 kilometers per hour, is 35 meters tall and 1,077 meters long.
“I know the ride well, and I’m willing to put in this kind of effort for the Jade Foundation’s good cause – supporting children with cancer. That’s why I’ll be able to handle it,” he says beforehand. He does admit that he was a little nervous. “Spending that long on a ride is new to me and I didn’t know how my body would react. And it’s not exactly possible to train for something like this.”
Cold
But all went well. “We were cheered on and became a close-knit group of participants and supervisors.” Unfortunately, the weather was not on their side. “The weather was actually the biggest obstacle. It was quite chilly throughout the entire challenge – even cold at times. On top of that, it rained a lot, especially on Saturday afternoon. Because of that, a few participants dropped out. Fortunately, I had come prepared with a raincoat, rain pants and a poncho. The Toverland organizers also provided poncho’s.”
Lenders knows how Troy works thanks to his part-time job at Toverland. The computer science student’s areas of interest include trains, records and amusement parks – the roller coasters in particular. Two years ago, he competed in the NS Kilometer Champion competition, where he tried to cover as much distance as possible by train in twelve hours.
As part of his student job at Toverland, Lenders works at the boarding and exit points of the Troy roller coaster. He estimates that a ride lasts about four minutes, depending on weather, wind and mechanical conditions.
There is not much that can go wrong. “The roller coaster has been thoroughly tested, otherwise it wouldn’t be running. It’s actually safer than driving a car, which I have to do to get from Helmond to Sevenum when I go to work.” Troy may be tall and fast, but it doesn’t have any loops. “It’s a classic coaster where the train starts with a lift hill, then follows a course of turns and hills, and finishes with the brake run.”
The organizers provided food and drinks during the breaks. Every hour, the challenge was interrupted for five minutes so participants could get out for a restroom break and a little rest. There was one time when Lenders received help from a first-aid provider, as he was feeling a bit nauseous.
Good cause
The challenge was a way to raise funds, with proceeds going to the Jade Foundation. Money was collected through things like donations, an auction and merchandise. The foundation was set up by Jade Kops and her family. Jade has childhood cancer and wants to offer fellow patients a relaxing weekend in a beach villa for a year.
Lenders explains why the cause resonates with him. I admire this teenager for giving children with cancer a chance to unwind. She is terminally ill herself and still, she remains positive and wants to support others.”
A total of 71,896 euros was raised. More than he expected, says Lenders. “Together, the twenty-four participants raised 19,000 euros in donations, and I personally raised over 400 euros.”
He hasn’t grown tired of roller coaster rides just yet. “Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to go again soon. But my studies and work come first. I’m going to visit a few new amusement parks over the summer break anyway, so my next coaster ride isn’t too far off.”
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