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When meeting Kingswood resident Anine van der Westhuizen, you would be forgiven for wishing you’d had a physical qualm she could check out and fix – such is the good energy flowing from this well-established George biokineticist.
Kingswood residents for the past 11 years, the family Van der Merwe/Van der Westhuizen (it’s a short story …) counted two when they first moved to Kingswood; a decade ago that number grew to three, and three years later the family produced its fourth and final member.
‘We have lived in Kingswood Golf Estate since 2012 and our hearts and lives are firmly rooted here. My husband already saw the estate’s potential back in 2007 and we bought our plot in the Oval with big dreams for our here,’ says Anine
Swapping Jacarandas for Outeniquas
‘I finished my high school career at Hoërskool Menlopark in Pretoria in 1995, before completing my BSc MBK in 1998 at Stellenbosch. Then it was on to Potchefstroom, where I attained my Honours degree in Biokinetics in 1999.’
Anine completed her internship at the Sport Science Institute in Cape Town (2000) before relocating to the Southern Cape. ‘The move to George was a business decision – I saw potential for a biokinetics practice in this beautiful town, nestled in the shadow of the majestic Outeniqua Mountains.
‘I bought a site in 2022 and we renovated the building to turn it into my dream practice, and we’ve been operating from there for a year now. Currently in practice are four biokineticists and two physiotherapists trading as Movement Solutions – a great team catering to many patients’ diverse needs under one roof.’
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Switched on since school days
Anine says that her interest in biokinetics was already piqued at school, due to her participation in sports and the resulting injuries sustained. ‘I was regularly exposed to the rehabilitation world by seeing physiotherapists and biokineticists,’ she explains.
The most basic definition of her trade is supplied thus by Google: A biokineticist is an exercise specialist who increases a person’s physical condition and quality of life by means of physical assessment and the prescription of healthy exercise habits.
‘I already knew at a young age that it was my passion to become an active part of the process to improve people’s quality of life, and return them after surgery or an injury to activities they enjoy.’
‘They both like to play golf – and every other sport you can think of is being played every afternoon on the Oval lawn with a whole bunch of their buddies. That patch of grass becomes alive and buzzing with their play, and seeing it makes my whole being break out into a smile!’
She says the whole family loves jogging, walking and cycling, and living the active lifestyle that fits in so perfectly with everything that Kingswood has to offer.
She adds that, apart from the conventional rehabilitation and guidance provided at their practice, they also started using EMS (electric muscle stimulation) in 2013 as a tool to make the rehabilitation process more effective.
‘Biokinetics is an incredibly satisfying profession, where every patient is unique. Almost every day I realise anew how we are psychically and emotionally connected, but that each person is wired differently,’ beams Anine.
Life at Kingswood
‘We wanted to raise our children in a safe environment with endless space to move about – and we are blessed with two sons who truly take advantage of every nook and cranny of Kingswood.
Van der Enterprising
Anine’s husband Jaco is an entrepreneur in the true sense of the word, with his finger in a handful of diverse George business pies. His BEng Electrical/Electronics degree from Stellenbosch University stands him in good stead today – not least when taking into account his involvement with development at Kingswood.
‘The Kingswood Village project – comprising more than 60 houses and the Kingswood hotel site – will be developed by Jaco next to the new clubhouse facility through his development company, Lumacon,’ explains Anine.
Jaco contributes to local employment opportunities through his businesses Laserxpress, Abel Equipment and Abel Energy, where world-class lithium batteries and related products are expertly manufactured.
This enterprising Kingswood resident sounds like apt material for a whole new ‘Local n Lekka’ feature in a future edition of The BUZZard, indeed. The Van der Westhuizen/Van der Merwe clan is a friendly force to be reckoned with, what with Anine getting her kicks from positive results with patients, and the couple’s combined contribution to community upliftment ultimately helping people to help themselves.
