Anna de Vrieze is a remarkable woman, with loads of determination and running talent. Running is Anna’s happy place, a time when she can switch off and enjoy time to herself and focus on the challenge at hand.
Although loving the solo nature of running, in 2018 Anna joined a mixed group that trains every Tuesday. Anna, 33, is one of the oldest in the group, with most aged 8 to 16. Joining this group has not only improved Anna’s performance with the strong competition (some of the kids can run pretty quick), but the social aspects are providing a new level of enjoyment. Talking to Anna I gained a strong sense that Anna is the “big sister”– inspiring up and coming athletes and being a positive role model.
Anna’s day job is a Human Resources Professional. She wakes at 5am and dedicates the first hour of the day to running, before travelling an hour to work. There’s no doubt that Anna is focused, highly organised and dedicated to achieving her goals.
A couple of years ago a turning point occurred when Anna went to her first parkrun. She was spotted by a coach who remembered her from her younger years. He offered to coach her and Anna seized the opportunity. She also started seeing an exercise physiologist, and worked on her strength and technique.
Anna is now stronger than ever, progressing from a 23 min 5 km runner to a sub 20 min. She modestly understates that she wins a few races here and there. Anna feels very lucky to be surrounded by a supportive team and believes that without them none of this would be possible.
Anna’s goal is to continue to improve her 5km and be competitive against the open women. Ultimately she aims to inspire young girls to continue running well beyond their teens.
I asked Anna why she loves running so much. It is the challenge to keep improving and Anna has learnt that what she puts in she always gets back. Her reward is the indescribable feeling of finishing a race or session. This brings pure joy and happiness and is what gets Anna out of bed every day.
A final quote from Anna – “If I can inspire just one girl to never give up, no matter the obstacle or challenge, I have done my job!”
