A story of the past, present and future.
More than a decade ago, I found myself sitting in an office job with an itchy feeling that my passion was elsewhere. I’ve always been sporty but now I was hungry to know more about how our bodies are really designed to move and what motivates people to train, move and play. Inspired by Natural Movement, Gymnastics, Martial Arts, Capoeira, Dance, Yoga, Pilates and Body Weight Training, I set out to learn first hand which training methods and coaching strategies could be the most effective for different goals. In 2012 - keen to share my insights with others who are seeking a healthier lifestyle - I made the jump from the daily grind and founded Be MoreActive.
From an early age, I experienced movement as both an outlet and a way to have fun. Tennis, cycling, playing outside, and especially Jiu-Jitsu were my absolute favourite activities (school a little less so). At 19, I proudly passed the 1st Dan (black belt) exam in Jiu-Jitsu (Japanese style). Later I played competitive squash and enjoyed mountain biking and running.
Sport as an Outlet
With a passion for nature and mountains, running trails quickly became another favourite pastime. In my 30s I successfully completed many long distance mountain races, such as 120KM trail in Verbier, 120KM Transylvania Trail, 110KM Pitz Alpine glacier trail, 80KM Belledone, 75KM Bouillonante, 170KM UTMB, 120KM TDS, 'The original' Everest Marathon, De Hel van Kasterlee (winter duathlon) and many others.
Plans for 2025: The Bob Graham Round (see blog for previous attempts)
Ultra Trail Running
Pose Running Technique and Oxygen Advantage
To compliment my trail running hobby and to make sure I stayed injury free, I studied ‘Pose Method of Running’ and certified as a Pose Running Coach.
Then I became curious about breathing - what impact it could have on my performance and how it could help to control my energy. After experimenting and practice based research, I found the techniques, and science based approach of the Oxygen Advantage the most relatable, relevant and applicable and complementary to what I can offer to my clients.
I became an Oxygen Advantage Master Coach and now also train others to become Oxygen Advantage teachers.
Interesting to know, my passion for Breathwork took me to new underwater adventures where I now, on a weekly basis, explore the wonderful world of Free diving.
Bringing the power of Mind and Body Connection
Exploring movement and especially the connection between mind/body and confidence drives me forward to become a better mover, create more freedom in my own body and become a little stronger every day.
Combining this passion, experience and extensive knowledge of the human body, coaching methodology, rest strategies and nutrition fires me up to create the best, personalised training program for everyone.
I’ve trained thousands of clients with a hundred different lifestyles and just as many goals. TTraining sessions can be in Dutch and/or English.
Expect workouts based on Natural Movement, Gymnastics, Martial Arts, Capoeira, Dance, Yoga, Pilates and Body Weight Training. Coupled with essential Breathing techniques that enhance the mind-body connection and lift your performance to new levels.
And to ensure that you get the best quality training, I continue to seek inspiration, acquire knowledge and test out methods from all things movement, running and health related. These include Movnat, Fighting Monkey, Frank Forencich, Ido Portal, Oxygen Advantage, Functional Range Conditioning, Pose Method, Precision Nutrition,…
However, my biggest ‘muses’ are my kids, nephews and nieces who keep learning about the world and themselves by rolling, crawling, jumping, running, climbing, balancing, tree-climbing, playing, lifting and throwing.
When I’m not teaching, you will probably find me in the mountains (Trail running), under water (Freediving), up in a tree (Natural Movement) or perhaps somewhere enjoying a refreshing ice bath (Wim Hof Method)