Born in Angguruk, Irian Jaya, Indonesia, Maartje Scheepstra donned the Oranje of the Netherlands with aplomb.
She was voted 2003 FIH Rising Star of the Year thanks to her resolute play in the defence and midfield.
She reduced the margin against Germany in the 2004 Athens Olympic final from a penalty corner but try as they might the Netherlands couldn’t overturn a 1-2 scoreline and against expectation lost to their neighbours.
Scheepstra had to rest content with another silver medal two years earlier at the World Cup in Perth when the Netherlands lost to Argentina in a penalty shootout.
Her career was cut short by a knee injury but none-the-less she served her country well in 98 internationals in which she scored 12 times.
Born on April 1, 1980, Scheepstra played for Amsterdam Hockey and Bandy Club after initially turning out for Almere and Gooische.