Blog: Yente van Cuijck
The sea is free and accessible to everyone who treats it with respect. That’s what makes this region unique!
Using surfing as a tool and the Zeeuws-Vlaanderen sea as our classroom, we at surf therapy organization ZeeSterk surf together towards a more positive self-image. I am Yente and I am the founder of ZeeSterk. We offer surf programs for young people who need a more positive self-image and greater self-confidence. For six weeks, we surf in a group of six young people. The challenges the youngsters face while surfing are linked to the challenges they encounter in daily life. The peace, space, and wildness of the Truzementse Zee are perfect for this! Precisely because it’s not all manufactured and perfect. Young people experience what nature has to teach them, both at sea and on land!
A true Zeeuws-Vlaming
Born and raised in Retranchement, I have always had an affinity with the beach and the sea. Every summer, our family would come to the beach to enjoy the nice weather, the peace, and the space the beach offers us. Later, I discovered catamaran sailing and wave surfing on this same beach and started as an instructor at Zwinsport. Every summer, I spent six weeks on the beach, helped out with the children’s camps that were organized, and sometimes there was more sand in my bed than on the beach. I loved it!
After high school, I went to study Sports Science in Eindhoven. I learned about the effects of sports on our mental well-being. During my student days, I would always come back to my beloved Zwin beach every weekend, just to catch my breath from all the impressions of the busy city. The Zwin and its waves were my safe haven, especially during times when I wasn’t feeling great. Then I would seek out the sea even more often. A light bulb went on: surfing for more self-confidence and more peace and space in your mind. I have to do something with this!
From New Zealand back to Retranchement
After an adventure of almost two years in New Zealand, where surf therapy is very well known and I gained a lot of experience in it, (old) Zeeland started calling me back. Twice I had the opportunity to sign for a work visa (which is not exactly easy to get in New Zealand). But something held me back. I missed my family, friends, and the place I had called home for so long. There is something special about this place, the busy summers of the season and the quiet, windy winters. This region offers something so unique and in my opinion, we could make much more use of it! The sea is free and accessible to everyone who treats it with respect. The beach at the Zwin offers peace and space, which is of course perfect for surf therapy sessions, and also has good waves.
So I see it as my mission, besides helping the young people we surf with, to invite everyone in the region to visit the beach and sea in our area more often and to take care of it. That’s what makes this region unique!
Tip from Yente
Join a wave surfing clinic at Zwinsport and experience for yourself what effect the waves have on you, or discover the Zwin nature reserve on foot. From the Belgian side you can walk the barefoot path, which is great fun!
