The Dutch Athlete Who Rebuilt Herself
Romee Strijd was a Victoria's Secret Angel, a fitness icon, and one of the most-followed models of her generation. But the chapter of her life that matters most happened off the runway: the public, painful, and ultimately triumphant story of a woman who lost her menstrual cycle to overtraining and fought her way back to health — and motherhood.
From Zoetermeer to the World
Born in 1995 in Zoetermeer, a suburb of The Hague in the Netherlands, Strijd was scouted at 14. The Dutch modeling pipeline is one of the most productive in the world, and Strijd fit the mold perfectly: tall, blonde, athletic, and photogenic.
Her career progressed through the standard channels:
- Signed with a Dutch agency and began working in Europe
- Made her New York Fashion Week debut in 2014
- First walked the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in 2014
- Promoted to Victoria's Secret Angel in 2017
She walked the VS show every year from 2014 through 2018, becoming one of the show's most recognizable faces.
The Fitness Revolution
What distinguished Strijd from other Angels was her relationship with fitness. She did not just exercise to maintain her figure — she turned her workout regimen into a media platform:
- Her YouTube channel featured detailed workout videos that attracted millions of views
- She documented her gym sessions on Instagram with a transparency unusual for high-fashion models
- She partnered with fitness brands and launched workout programs
- She became as well-known for her abs as for her face
In an era when models were beginning to be transparent about the work behind their bodies, Strijd was one of the most honest. She showed the sweat, the discipline, and the physical effort. She made it clear that looking like a Victoria's Secret Angel was a full-time athletic commitment.
The Health Crisis
But the fitness that made Strijd famous also damaged her health. In 2018, she revealed publicly that she had not had a menstrual period for seven years. The condition — hypothalamic amenorrhea — was caused by a combination of overtraining, undereating, and stress.
Her candor was groundbreaking. Female athletes and models had suffered from this condition in silence for decades. Strijd not only disclosed her diagnosis but documented her recovery:
- She reduced her exercise intensity
- She gained weight — intentionally and publicly
- She worked with doctors and nutritionists to restore her hormonal health
- She shared the entire process with her followers
The response was overwhelming. Women across the world reached out to say they were experiencing the same thing. Strijd's openness helped destigmatize a condition that affects millions of women who exercise intensely.
Motherhood
In 2020, Strijd and her partner Laurens van Leeuwen welcomed their first child. The pregnancy, which she had feared might never happen, was the culmination of her health recovery. She documented the journey openly, continuing the transparency that had defined her platform.
She went on to have a second child, proving that the recovery was complete and lasting.
The Broader Career
Beyond Victoria's Secret and fitness, Strijd built a varied portfolio:
- Campaigns for Michael Kors, Victorinox, and Calzedonia
- Multiple Vogue covers across international editions
- Collaborations with wellness and lifestyle brands
- A YouTube presence that blended fashion, fitness, and family content
Why She Matters
Romee Strijd's most important contribution to the modeling industry was not her abs or her Angel wings. It was her willingness to say, publicly, that the pursuit of physical perfection had broken her body — and then to show everyone how she fixed it.
In doing so, she helped change the conversation about fitness culture, female health, and the hidden costs of the beauty industry.
A Victoria's Secret Angel who lost her health to the pursuit of perfection — and had the courage to tell the world. Romee Strijd rebuilt herself in public.