Janna Doumpas: Dutch Sprint Star with Greek Roots

Early Life and Background

Janna Doumpas was born on June 30, 2001, in the Netherlands, making her 24 years old as of 2025. Both of her parents are Greek, though her mother was born in the Netherlands, giving Janna dual Dutch-Greek nationality. She grew up in Someren, a municipality in North Brabant, Netherlands, where her athletic journey began.

“I always loved sports and was always outside playing,” Janna recalls of her childhood. Her natural athleticism became evident early, setting the foundation for what would become a remarkable career in track and field.

Athletic Career Development

Early Beginnings

At age 12, Janna started at the athletics club ‘t Jasper Sport in Someren, where she quickly established herself as one of the best athletes. Her talent was undeniable from the start, and it wasn’t long before she outgrew the local level.

After two years, she joined a regional elite sports center, ATR in Rotterdam, after her mother saw a call for applications and thought it would suit Janna well. Initially training twice a week, then three times, Janna learned tremendously during this period. She remains grateful to her parents for the countless trips they made to support her training.

Professional Development

After two years at ATR, Janna recognized she was ready for the next step and moved to the athletics club in Eindhoven. There, she joined a sprint group with older women alongside fellow teenager Demi van den Wildenberg. The two teenagers learned valuable lessons from the 25-plus athletes in their group.

Currently, Janna competes for Eindhoven Atletiek and specializes in sprint events, particularly the 100 meters.

Track and Field Accomplishments

Personal Bests and Rankings

Janna has established herself as a formidable sprinter with impressive personal records:

• 100 meters: 11.90 seconds (achieved July 12, 2025)
• 200 meters: 24.71 seconds (achieved July 12, 2025)
• 60 meters (indoor): 7.65 seconds (achieved February 24, 2023, at Topsporthal Vlaanderen, Gent, Belgium)
• Long Jump: 5.54 meters (achieved July 23, 2022)

Current Standing

As of 2025, Janna is ranked #2420 in the world in women’s 100 meters according to World Athletics. She has been described as belonging to the sub-elite level of Dutch athletics for several years, consistently competing at national championships and representing the Netherlands in various competitions.

Notable Competitions

Janna has competed in multiple Dutch Athletics Championships, including notable appearances at the 2021 championships in Breda where she competed in the women’s 100m series.

Educational Background and Career Aspirations

Academic Pursuits

Janna is a physiotherapy student, having pursued her studies while maintaining her athletic career. The demanding nature of balancing elite athletics with her physiotherapy studies has been a significant challenge throughout her career.

Professional Development

Janna has successfully completed her physiotherapy education and now works as a physiotherapist, specializing in optimizing athletic performance and preventing injuries through advanced techniques and knowledge. She has a deep background in strength and speed training and recovery programs, helping athletes and active individuals achieve their peak potential.

She is actively expanding her skillset through the ActionType approach, a method that aligns a person’s unique motor and cognitive preferences with their training and development. This allows her to tailor coaching for better results by understanding each athlete’s natural tendencies and mental-motor connections.

Career Goals

Janna’s goal is to combine her expertise in physiotherapy with her competitive experience to guide others in their health and fitness journey, promoting injury prevention and long-term success. She works as both an athlete and a physiotherapist, speed, strength and conditioning coach.

The Bobsled Chapter

Unexpected Opportunity

In October 2023, Janna became national news when she transitioned from sprint athlete to becoming part of the Dutch national bobsled team. She was approached via Instagram by the pilot of the women’s bobsled team asking if she would like to join the team and work toward the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Italy.

The approach made sense given her explosive sprint capabilities and strength – qualities highly valuable for pushing a bobsled. Initially, the opportunity seemed like an exciting and challenging new adventure.

Media Attention and Challenges

When the news broke, it exploded in the media. Television crews and newspapers sought her out, and the cheerful Janna was open to sharing her story. However, this media attention came during a busy period with her physiotherapy studies.

Difficult Realization

The bobsled experience proved much different than Janna had imagined. While she found it to be a beautiful sport, the culture and structure of the international bobsled world differed significantly from the athletics world she knew. Despite feeling that it didn’t align with her personal approach to elite sport, she felt obligated not to abandon the team and wanted to complete the season to make an informed decision.

Health Struggles and Recovery

The pressure of continuing in bobsled while longing for athletics took a severe toll. After the World Bobsled Championships in Winterberg, where she gave everything she had left, Janna experienced a complete mental and physical breakdown upon returning home. She couldn’t function properly, think clearly, or even read at times. The complete lack of energy made it impossible to continue her studies, and even getting out of bed became a challenge.

Attempting to return to athletics training proved initially difficult, sometimes having to stop after just a few stretching exercises or warm-up runs. This was confronting for someone who had never expected to feel this way. Eventually, she made the difficult decision to leave the bobsled team and return to the sport that made her truly happy.

Personal Interests and Background

Cultural Heritage

Janna has a strong connection to her Greek heritage through her parents. Her favorite meal is Yemista, a Greek dish of stuffed peppers, especially when they come fresh from her grandmother’s garden in Greece.

Personality and Interests

Janna describes herself as someone who suffers from “choice stress” – difficulty making decisions. This extends to everything from choosing between social media platforms (she has tens of thousands of followers on both Instagram and TikTok) to selecting Netflix series to watch.

She has always enjoyed football and admits she would love to swap places for a day with Brabant football stars like Cody Gakpo or Virgil van Dijk. Ironically, her mother initially wouldn’t let her play football because she considered it a “boys’ sport,” a decision her mother now admits was ridiculous.

Dual Nationality Considerations

With her dual Dutch-Greek nationality, Janna has considered the possibility of representing Greece in international competition. When asked about this possibility, she admits it would be difficult to choose due to her characteristic indecisiveness, but wouldn’t rule it out.

Current Status and Future Outlook

As of 2025, Janna has successfully returned to athletics and appears to be in good health and spirits following her challenging period. She maintains a busy schedule but thankfully with a less cluttered mind, giving her space to enjoy the activities she loves.

Her combination of elite athletic experience and professional expertise in physiotherapy positions her uniquely to contribute to the sports world both as a competitor and as a specialist helping other athletes optimize their performance and prevent injuries.

Janna Doumpas represents the modern athlete – one who balances elite competition with professional development, overcomes significant personal challenges, and uses her experiences to help others achieve their potential. Her story is one of resilience, self-awareness, and the courage to prioritize personal well-being while pursuing excellence.

Go Janna!