The Einstein Telescope is a top-class sport, just like volleyball
‘I grew up in Wallonia, in Berneau in the municipality of Dalhem. As someone from the region, I am extremely proud to contribute to this project that could have an incredible positive impact on the region as a whole. It’s hard to imagine just how incredible. I myself could hardly imagine it a year ago either.
That has since changed. For several months now, I have been working within the Einstein Telescope EMR project office as a member of environment manager Johan Rutten’s team. At the project office, we are investigating the feasibility. If everything goes according to plan, the bid book will be the provisional milestone of our work by the end of 2026. Meanwhile, no two days are the same. One day will be all about sustainable energy, the next about resident participation, and suddenly we’re working on proper agreements with municipalities on deep drilling. My role is to support and connect all these processes as much as possible, for example by helping to prepare consultations and building bridges to make things run smoothly.
This work has a lot in common with my previous career as an elite athlete. I played professional volleyball at the highest level from the age of 17. First in Belgium in Maaseik, then in France, in Poland, in Italy at two clubs and back to volleyball-crazy Poland, where the stands would hold 10,000 spectators. That was truly an incredible time, with national championships, trophies won and the Champions League. I also got to play on the Belgian national team for 15 years. Time and again, that was a great experience.
Being on a volleyball team means working with specialists and top athletes, and the project office also has experts in all kinds of fields. No matter how incredible of an expert you are in your field, you can only get results if you work with a full team. Again, this is no different from volleyball.
When you get a bit older – I’m 34 now – you naturally start thinking about what you want to do after your time as a professional volleyball player ends. My wife moved abroad with me each time. With two young children, we thought it wise to come back to Belgium, to the border region, where we’re from. We now live in Voeren.
The focus is now fully on the Einstein Telescope. We are also preparing to open a wine and tasting shop in the centre of Aubel. However, things are currently very busy, what with the kids, my wife still working in education and the Einstein Telescope. We expect we will just have to postpone the shop’s opening to sometime in September.
Mortroux, which is the volleyball club in Dalhem, incidentally continues to play a role. It was my first club. When I left to play volleyball professionally, I promised my club I would return one day. That day has now arrived: I am a player-coach at the club, with the intention of playing less myself and focusing my attention on training and coaching. We have made a future plan that should have Mortroux playing in the second division in a few years’ time. That is another similarity with the Einstein Telescope: with such a complex instrument and in such a complex organisation with lots of stakeholders, you have to stick to a tight but realistic schedule. Again, there is no difference between that and the telescope and what happens in the project office. The Einstein Telescope is a top-class sport as well. It is wonderful to be able to contribute to this project in my home region.’
Kevin Klinkenberg
Kevin Klinkenberg from Dalhem (Wallonia) was a professional volleyball player for many years, playing in Belgium and abroad and on the Belgian national volleyball team. For several months now, Kevin has also been a member of the environment team of the Einstein Telescope EMR project office.
