First some key information about me: I’m Andrea, I was born and raised in Berlin, Germany, and currently live in Hamburg. Every year I try to escape the winter in Hamburg and spend my time in Cape Town with friends and family.
I’ve always been very athletic. As a child I played volleyball as a competitive sport and took part in athletics competitions. At the age of 16 I started horseback riding and at 35 I started ballroom dancing and Pilates. I have always loved to exercise and connect with other people through sport.
As an executive business and leadership coach (I really love my job!), sometimes my work is challenging. I frequently have to deal with difficult personalities and with problematic conflict situations. This also means a lot of stress for my body and soul. From this stress I got a herniated disc in 2019 and ended up in hospital. After two weeks in hospital I had to go to rehab. In order to get well again, the physiotherapists taught their patients Nordic walking. To be completely honest with you at first I really hated it because I thought it was just a sport for “old people”. Because of this I was ashamed to use the Nordic walking poles and always hoped that none of my friends would see me when I walked with them. Over time I gradually learned to love this sport because it has so many positive effects on my body. Today I rarely go for a walk without my Nordic walking poles and I don’t care about what people think of me anymore. During my stay in Cape Town in summer 2022, two to five people asked me about my Nordic walking poles every day. From young children to people in their 80s, they were all keen to learn more about these “strange sticks”. And suddenly the idea of this website was born.
In 2023 I became a Nordic walking instructor and my first clients were my parents (72 and 75). I bought them Nordic walking poles as a gift and started training them so that they stay healthy and fit for as long as possible. In addition to my work as a business and leadership coach I practise reiki healing for animals (dogs and horses) and people of course and I work as a Nordic walking instructor. For me, Nordic walking is the key to a long, energetic and happy life. My message to all of you is: keep moving and you will stay healthy. You only have one life – use it! See you at the Sea Point Promenade.
All the best for all of you! Love, Andrea