Background
Schuurman was the third daughter in a family of educators – her father was the principal of an elementary school.
Schuurman was the third daughter in a family of educators – her father was the principal of an elementary school.
She competed at the 1932 Olympics in the 100 m and 4 × 100 m events and finished in fourth place in the relay.
In her early years she trained in athletics in summers and in gymnastics in winters. In 1932 she improved her world record to 11.9 s and was an Olympic favorite. However she could not concentrate during the games, partly due to a long trip to Los Angeles and lack of coach there.
She made a false start in the semifinals and then finished fourth, missing the final.
After returning home she trained hard for the 1936 Games, winning the national titles in the 100 m, 200 m and long jump in 1933 and 1934. However, at the 1934 Women"s World Games she severely tore her muscle in the first event, the 60 m, and dropped out of competitions.
When Hitler ruled out Jews to the Olympic games she refused to participate as an athlete. Later she worked as an assistant at a dental clinic, a pedicure practitioner and athletics coach.
In 1948 she saved two girls from drowning off the coast of Vlieland.
In 1952 she moved to Amsterdam, where she ran a pedicure shop until 1965. She died in 1994 aged 81. A local athletics club AV Impala in Drachten named their athletics complex after her.
Schuurman came from an political engaged family, members of the SDAP and knew a lot about politics.