Nijhuis competed at the 2008 European Aquatics Championships in Eindhoven in her home country. She failed to qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics when she performed disappointingly in the 100 m breaststroke. In the 50 m breaststroke she ended 6th in the final after she swam a national record in the semifinal. A few weeks after this championships Nijhuis announced that she would make a step back in her career focusing more on her study and put less hours in her swimming career.