Anneleen left behind her parents and two older sisters to travel to New Zealand.
“I love it here in Gisborne,” she says.
“I wake up with a smile on my face every morning, feeling very grateful to be living here.”
Anneleen has her concerns about her family's health and wellbeing back in Belgium, given the impact of Covid-19 in Europe.
“But everyone back home is well, though pretty restricted in their social lives.
“I hope they stay that way.”
Her sporting life started out in gymnastics, and she represented Belgium in the sport at an international level.
“We are a very sporty family. Both my sisters have also been involved in gymnastics at a high level.”
She had to move on from her life as an elite gymnast at age 16 when she was injured while in training for the European championships.
After high school she went to university, where she studied physical education, specialising in swim coaching.
She has worked as a lifeguard, surf coach, in outdoor education, learn-to-swim programmes and as a swimming coach.
After university Anneleen started to go surfing which is what drew her to New Zealand.
“I came to this country in search of an outdoorsy lifestyle, with less density of population, great surf conditions and opportunity to find a sense of remoteness in nature nearby.
“A friend of mine, the national surfing champion of Belgium Jasmine DeBeer, who had spent a few months in Gisborne, recommended I come here.” Anneleen contacted the local surf school Walking on Water and was offered work. “So I came straight down a few weeks after landing in New Zealand and worked as a surf coach for the Gisborne Boardriders as well.”
She says surfing has opened the world to her.
It has taken her to the Canary Islands, France, Spain, Portugal, the UK, Central America, Mozambique, Australia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
“These travels have shown me how other cultures live their lifes, how they love, communicate and live alongside each other.
“I have met many beautiful people showing me kindness and generosity, which I wouldn't have experienced staying at home.
“So surfing pretty much taught me how there are a million different ways to live a life, turned me into a better person and led me to this amazing place I can call home for now.
“Gisborne and its variety of waves and surfing options is definitely in my top three places I have been to surf.”
As a Comet coach, she trains her young charges twice a day, six days a week.
“My philosophy as a swim coach centres on building confidence in the young people I teach.
“It's a great opportunity to build their self esteem, and other life skills around goal setting, resilience, finding drive, independence and self management.
“It's very rewarding to see them progress.”
Comet manager Rochelle Somerton said Anneleen had slotted in perfectly to the club's programme.
“She has brought her knowledge of the body through being a gymnast, and her desire for our children to develop.
“We are seeing that progression already in our swimmers.
“Also, she has just started sharing recipes with the swimmers to better fuel their bodies.
“So Anneleen is really the complete package for us.”
Last summer Anneleen gained her New Zealand Surf Lifeguard qualification, adding to her years of lifeguarding in Belgium and the UK. She spent some time as a lifeguard at a wave pool surfing complex in the UK.
She lives at Wainui Beach, and gained her lifeguard qualification through the Riversun Wainui Surf Life Saving Club.
She loves being close to the waves.
“I really enjoy it out at Wainui.
“I feel very fortunate to be in this beautiful part of the world and being able to have a second home here, only a short walk away from the ocean.”
As for the future?
“I have a visa to stay and work in New Zealand for three years, but at this stage I hope to be able to stay indefinitely.
“This is such a nice place to live.”
