‘Nothing's as important as SELF­ ACCEPTANCE'

ONLINE TRAINER AND ENTREPRENEUR ANDENE THOMSON ON SURVIVING DIFFICULT TIMES, EMPOWERING WOMEN AND THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING KIND TO YOURSELF

- Ashton Kirsten

Andene Thomson, 29, began taking part in fitness competitions when she was still a student at the University of Pretoria. Conscious of the link between diet and fitness, she started developing healthy recipes, which led her to start her very own lifestyle blog and brand, Healthy Girl with a Sweet Tooth, in 2013. Through her website, Andene offers her clients online coaching and sells her own Healthy Girl Foods wellness products. She lives in Pretoria.

By looking at me a few years ago, you would have assumed that I had the whole ‘healthy living’ thing figured out, but actually it was all an illusion. I was completely disconnected from myself and had never felt so lost. At the time, I was competing in fitness competitions – I’d spend far too much time in the gym or obsessing over food. I became so focused on the negative aspects of a ‘healthy’, active lifestyle that my weight and how I looked began to consume me. This saw me develop an unhealthy relationship with food and my body.