Coba Hoekstra

Next to speed skating, Hoekstra was an established korfball player. She played at V.K.C.,[1] later for Luto in Amsterdam and when she moved back to Friesland in 1954 she started playing again for V.K.C.[2] Her younger sister Joke Hoekstra was also an established korfball player and speed skater. She played at the same korfbal team and together they won the Northern Dutch Championships. In speed skating they were regularly at the same podium. In speed skating she won her first competition in January 1942 when she was 16 years old, beating the champion of Drenthe Grietje Nicolai in Niebert.[3] She won many prizes in speed skating. She finished third at the Dutch National Kortebaan Speed Skating Championships behind her sister Joke who finished second.[4] The two were honored in later that evening in Siegerswoude.[4] At the 1948 Frisian championships she finished third behind Annie Pijlman and Ike Nienhuis.[5] She won among others in February 1948 twice in Drachten,[6] in January 1950 in Joure and Beetgumermolen[7][8][9][10] and in February 1954 she won in Schoonoord.[11] Two of her main rivals were Jantje Tienkamp and Ike Nienhuis.[12][13][14]

Hoekstra was born in 1927. Her parents were farmers. She had a younger sister Joke Hoekstra.[15] She married in Beetsterzwaag on 14 May 1949 with J. Engberts from De Haar, Groningen. They were honored by a large amount of known speed skaters.[16] She moved to Amsterdam but returned in mid-1954 back to Friesland.