I was born in Leuven, Belgium in 1968. I’ve always been a bit of a free spirit, and I’ve tried all sorts of things at different times in my life.

When I was a kid, I was into sports. I did gymnastics, ballet, football, and running. Running was actually pretty good. I used to win school district races when I was 12 years old.

But then we moved, and my interests changed. I quit running and started playing guitar in a hard rock band. Way cooler, right?

Fast forward to 2012. I was living in Lisbon and writing my guide to Angola, the southern African country I would move to a year later. Most of my days were spent on the laptop at the kitchen table, so I thought I needed to do something for my health. Three months later, I ran a local 20k race, my first-ever half marathon in 1:23. By the end of the year, I had run my first marathon in 2:54.

After moving to Luanda, Angola, my times kept getting better. A friend from a local running group suggested I try to run the majors for podium finishes in my age bracket. I started in Tokyo in 2018, followed by Berlin and New York City in 2019. I won all three! My official net time in Berlin of 2:26:10 is to the best of my knowledge a world-leading time for 2019. According to the now-discontinued database of the Association of Road Racing Statisticians, I’m the 10th fastest marathon runner ever in the 50-54 age group. And according to Jack Daniels’ age grading, that Berlin race is equivalent to a 2:08 marathon at age 30. Definitely a case of the wrong moment in life to be at this level.

Like all the other things I’ve done in my life, I’m pretty obsessed with learning everything I can about what I dedicate a lot of my time and resources to. Running was no different. After reading a ton of books and studying, I thought I’d round off with a coaching certification. USATF level 1 was available with online classes for the first time due to Covid, and I immediately took the chance. I’ve now added a USATF level 2 Endurance certificate to my coaching certifications.

The next big goal for me is to win the only major that I haven’t managed to achieve yet. But I also want to share my knowledge and experience with runners around the world, whether they’re like me or just want to take their running to the next level.

Living here in Luanda, where conditions for athletes are usually not great, I also want to give back to the country that has welcomed me and where I train in the tropical heat and humidity to achieve my goals. Part of my coaching income will be used to train local runners to the best of my ability and help them reach their running goals as well.