Who we are

Prof. Dr. J. Bellemans is an orthopaedic surgeon specialised in knee surgery and sports orthopaedics. He has an international reputation and is worldwide recognised for his knowledge and work on the knee joint. He was the first to introduce several new techniques in knee and sports related surgery.

He and his team were recently in the world-news for their discovery of the anterolateral ligament of the knee, and its implications towards treatment of knee injuries.

Prof. Dr. J. Bellemans is former head of the orthopaedic department at the University Hospitals Leuven, and has published more than 190 research papers on the knee and sports related injuries.

Prof. Dr. J. Bellemans has treated numerous national and international top athletes, and is team-doctor for the Belgian Olympic team since the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympics. At the Rio 2016, Tokyo 2021 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games he was coordinator and head of the medical staff for Team Belgium.

Prof. Dr. K. Smeets graduated as an orthopedic surgeon at the University Hospitals of Leuven, where he focused on knee and sports problems. After his trainingship, he did fellowships with internationally renowned knee surgeons at the North Sydney Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Centre (Sydney – Australia), the Mayo Clinic (Rochester - USA) and the Steadman Clinic (Vail - USA). Thereafter, he fine-tuned his knowledge and experience at ZOL Genk, where he was the fellow of Professor Bellemans during multiple years.

During this period he was also trained in musculoskeletal ultrasound. Currently as orthopedic surgeon, he is part of the Orthoteam Limburg, working at campus Jessa (Hasselt) and campus Vesalius (Tongeren).

Prof. Dr. Smeets did innovative research considering the ligamentous stability around the knee and successfully defended his doctoral thesis around this topic. He has been awarded the academic degree of doctor of (Bio)Medical Sciences at Universiteit Hasselt and KU Leuven.

Prof. Dr. Smeets is a member of the medical staff at the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee (BOIC/COIB) and accompanies Team Belgium during international games. As team physician he covered national soccer teams of the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA). He is an active member of the Belgian Knee Society (BKS) and European Knee Society (EKS).

Doctor William Colyn obtained his MaNaMa in Orthopaedics at KULeuven in 2016. His master's thesis, ‘the concept of constitutional varus’, became one of the most referenced papers on knee prostheses worldwide under supervision of Prof. Bellemans. After his trainingship, Dr. Colyn attended several national and international fellowships (Lyon, Bristol, Marseille, Turin, Brescia, Modena, Florence, Berlin & Munich).

He has been associated with UHasselt since the start of his PhD in 2019. In 2023, he obtained his doctoral degree after defending his thesis: ‘The natural evolution of constitutional varus & its clinical implications’. He is a board member of the Belgian Knee Society and an active young member of the European Knee Society.

Since 2016, he has been active as an orthopaedic surgeon in his hometown of Turnhout.

As a passionate knee surgeon, he has focused on both sports injuries and degenerative disorders of the knee.

Jorrit Helsen graduated from Medical school (MD, KU Leuven) in 2017. Two years later, he obtained both a Master’s degree in Family Medicine and a Master’s degree in Sports Medicine, also from KU Leuven. Since then, he has been working as a general practitioner and sports physician. He has also completed several courses in musculoskeletal ultrasound.

As a member of the Flemisch Society of Sports Physicians (SKA) he is licensed to perform preparticipation medical screenings. His professional interests focus on the diagnosis and treatment of sports injuries and on helping athletes with their medical questions and concerns. In his free time, he enjoys staying active, mainly through running and fitness.

Dr. Lieve Deckers has graduated as Medical Doctor at the KU Leuven. She has been working as a private General Practitioner and Family Doctor for more than 10 years.

Lieve is co-founder of the GRIT Belgian Sports Clinic, the ArthroClinic and the GRIT GYM.

From the beginning in 2014 Lieve has been managing the GRIT-team, our different facilities and affiliates.

From the beginning in 2014 Samantha has been the first contact for the patients, providing information and handling the files.

She is responsible for the secretarial support of the medical doctors and sports physio's.

Rudi Diels is MSc. Physical Education and Consultant in Physical Education with expertise in training and coaching. He is active in athletics since 1987 and supports individual athletes including several Olympic athletes (Kim Gevaert, Elodie Ouedraogo and Michael Bultheel…)

Rudi is also national coach women’s 4x100m relay since 2001. With this team he won at the Beijing Olympics gold in 2008. He is a coach in the Belgian delegation for the Olympic Games, World Championships and European Championships since 1999.

Rudi was also head coach of the Belgian women's bobsleigh team from 2007 to 2014. With this team he won a 6th place at the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. He also has experience as a physical coach in various sports including athletics, bobsled and tennis.

Koen Bellemans is MSc. Physical Education in training & coaching sprint/hurdling. He did an internship researching athlete monitoring in sprinting events. Koen competed in the 400m on a national level. Before he started competing in Track & Field he played Football at KVK Tienen and OHL in second division.

In 2017 he started his career at GRIT, helping athletes in a multitude of sports (handball, tennis, bobsled, basketball) in their physical development. He also coached the everyday man and women with their process, performance and outcome goals, from running a Half Marathon all the way to the Marathon Des Sables.

In 2019 Koen also started coaching youth (U14-18) Track and Field athletes in the sprint & hurdles. Since than he has coached sprint athletes to European & World championships. He was also part of the Team Belgium delegation for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Silke Ghekiere graduated as Master of Physical Education and Kinesiology at the University of Leuven, specialized in Physical activity and health. At the moment she’s finishing her Trainer B Sportclimbing diploma.

Silke started climbing at a young age. She has competed in national competitions lead and boulder. You can find her in the mountains to climb on the rocks during summer and she will be there snowboarding during winter.

She is also coaching the competition team of Klimclub Hungaria in Leuven, where she helps talented athletes to reach their personal goals.

Michiel specialises in coaching endurance sports and provides training schedules and lactate testing in various disciplines.

Both recreational and elite athletes can find Michiel for guidance and coaching. He always looks for the ideal schedule for each athlete, opting for active communication during coaching. His training philosophy is based on the insights of exercise physiologist Jan Olbrecht.

Robbe Van Dessel is Msc.in Physical Education and Kinesiology at the University Leuven, with a specialization in Physical activity, Fitness and Health.

His passion is to help people towards a better version of themselves, where efficient movement has a central role, so they can achieve all of their ambitions in- and outside of sports and /or fitness.

Robbe started his career as strength and conditioning coach for the Flemish Swimming Federation, which he still does with a lot of drive and enthusiasm. He has been involved with the physical preparation of athletes from multiple sports, but also a wide array of general population.

Since a young age he has been interested in combat sports. Having a background in boxing and Thai boxing, he now tries to expand his skills in MMA.

Thomas Van Nuffelen is active as a Track and Field athlete at the national level in pole vaulting. His experience in this technical sport has given him a detailed understanding of the mechanisms of movement, which enables him to coach athletes effectively. As a Trainer A pole vault coach, he also provides athletics training to a group of athletes.

In addition, Thomas holds an Msc. in Physical Education and Exercise Science from KULeuven, specialising in performance and active lifestyle coaching. As lecturer in athletics at the LO&BW course and lecturer in pole vaulting at the Flemish Trainers' School, he shares his knowledge and passion for sport with the next generation of athletes and coaches.

Jente Verstraeten obtained her Bachelor's degree in Physical Education and Exercise Science and is currently completing her Masters in Training and Coaching. During her studies, she gained valuable experience at GRIT Sports Performance & Personal Training, where her passion for coaching continues to grow. This experience inspired Jente to start working while finishing her Masters degree and to already help people achieve their personal goals.

Jente has a background in top-level sports and practised judo at a high level until the age of 23. Judo still occupies time in her life. She also has a keen interest in cycling and is committed to obtaining her Trainer C licence in this sport. With her experience and drive, Jente aims to support athletes of all levels, whether they are striving for a healthier life or want to improve in their sports discipline.

Pieter Desmet specializes in endurance sports coaching and performance testing. Guided by his philosophy that ‘to measure is to know’, he helps recreational and competitive athletes improve their performance in a targeted manner. He can assist with anything related to running (Start to Run, 5/10km, (half) marathon, trail running) and cycling.

His experience as an Olympic athlete and his background as a PE teacher form the basis of his personalized, results-oriented and scientific coaching.

Inge Bellemans is Msc. in Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, specializing in sports rehabilitation, and completed her postgraduate in Manual Therapy. In 2019 she completed her internship at 'the Narrabeen Sports Physio Clinic' in Sydney, Australia, where she worked with the national junior Rugby Sevens team.

Inge guided the young Belgian Blizzards during Intercontinental and Europa cups Skeleton in 2019 and is currently coaching several individual athletes in strength and conditioning.

Until 2025, she came in action as an athlete in athletics on the hurdles. In addition, Inge wants to get as many people active as possible via the online platform FITFAQS and by providing Personal Training.

In 2022, Gilles graduated with a Master’s degree in Sports Physiotherapy from KU Leuven. He now has over three years of experience treating sports injuries, with a strong focus on active rehabilitation and dry needling.

Gilles is passionate about sports: he practices strength training, has run marathons, and is active as a competitive padel player and coach. Thanks to his athletic background, he understands the importance of not only returning to sport pain-free, but also coming back stronger and more confident.

Marieke completed her Master's degree in Physical Education and Movement Sciences with a diploma training and coaching in swimming. She also studied Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, specializing in Sports Physiotherapy, and completed her postgraduate degree in Manual Therapy a few years ago. In 2020, she also had the privilege of completing her internship in Australia at the prestigious Elite Rehab and Sports Physiotherapy in Canberra.

Marieke enjoys thinking creatively and adapting exercises to your pathology, sport, and skill level. She has particular experience in swimming, basketball, and rugby. Her PE background makes her a good all-rounder. She is interested in many different sports, but when you give her some kind of ball and Marieke is completely in her element.

In 2025, Tijs obtained his Master’s degree in Sports Physiotherapy from KU Leuven. In addition to his role at GRIT, he works part-time at the Aeroperformance Lab, collaborating with world-class cyclists and triathletes to optimize their riding position and efficiency.

During his studies, he deepened his knowledge of exercise physiology through research on athletes’ recovery capacity. As a competitive cyclist and former national-level sailor, Tijs brings firsthand experience of high-performance sport into his clinical practice.

As a physiotherapist, he combines scientific insight with practical experience, bridging the gap between physiotherapy and coaching and integrating these principles throughout the entire rehabilitation process. This enables athletes not only to return from injury, but to come back stronger, more resilient, and better prepared for performance.

In 2025, Gust graduated with a degree in Sports Physiotherapy from KU Leuven. He has been competitively active as a sprinter in athletics for many years and has a broad passion for sports and exercise in all its forms. He is also an enthusiastic recreational cyclist and hiker.

Thanks to his experience in the world of top-level soccer, gained during an internship, he has a strong affinity for treating high-level athletes. He enjoys the challenge of treating sports injuries, even when they are outside his comfort zone, with the aim of supporting each patient in a sustainable, strong, and functional recovery, towards their sporting or everyday goals.

Astrid Roekens is an experienced sports dietitian with extensive specialization in sports nutrition. She obtained her Bachelor's degree in Nutrition and Dietetics at Erasmus University College Brussels and subsequently specialized further in sports nutrition at HAN University in the Netherlands. Astrid works with top athletes and Olympic athletes, including professional cyclists, basketball players, HYROX athletes, sailors and figure skaters.

Thanks to her experience at the highest level, she can translate the latest scientific insights into a practical plan that fits your lifestyle. Astrid offers personalised, scientifically based nutritional guidance to both elite athletes and recreational athletes who want to improve their performance, recovery or overall health.

In 2017, Dieter Bellemans graduated with a Master’s degree in Psychology from KU Leuven. Driven by his passion for the human mind behind the athlete, he went on to specialise in sports and performance psychology. His approach at GRIT is grounded in a scientific framework but is deeply rooted in practical experience. Dieter has experience in coaching athletes across various disciplines, working on topics such as stress regulation, focus management, motivation and the mental impact of long-term rehabilitation programmes.

At GRIT, Dieter is ready to support both individual athletes and teams on their journey towards mental excellence, with a focus on striking a balance between well-being and peak performance.

- more info soon -