Maia Brinkley stepped away from the bright lights of Upper Hutt and Rimutaka GymSports last August, trading familiar routines for new experiences abroad. As she prepares to return to New Zealand in July, she’s bringing back more than just memories. With fresh skills, insights, and a renewed passion for the sport, Maia is set to reconnect with her club and share her journey with GFA members.

Read Maia’s update below.

I have been at Ollerup since August, and there hasn’t been a single boring day since. The start was super busy and a little overwhelming, but it quickly turned into such a rewarding experience. The start of the semester was summer, and it was pretty warm, and lots of days with blue skies. We went swimming in the huge outdoor pool, and also got to use the sauna for the first time.

Our days start with breakfast, cleaning and then morning assembly, where the teachers share their interests and wisdom. We also sing songs everyday (in Danish and English). Then we have a variety of classes. After class theres always someone to see, or a club to join.

My line class is tumbling, and in this class we focus on technique and drills, and then move into more complete skills towards the end. The spring centre is incredibly impressive, but it took a while to adjust to the different equipment they use. It is very important to the teachers that these classes have an aspect of fun, and it is up to us to push ourselves as hard as we want. Some people in the class have never done any kind of gymnastics before, and some are national team members, but there was still a place for everyone. There was a lot of support between everyone, and it helped create an incredibly positive training environment.

Another class is Intercultural Studies, a class only for international students. A big part of this class was becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable, and being in a better place to understand and see the world, so our teacher Jonathan gave us weekly challenges. These included no furniture, cold showers, no phones/music/ social media, and we ended the semester with a two minute winter bathing session at the local beach – it was ice cold.

My family group was family group 10, and we personally considered ourselves the best family. We had weekly family meetings, and usually these were check-ins to talk about how everyone’s week was, and to talk about any tough emotions or situations we were dealing with. I was surprised how easy it was to become close with a group of strangers. We lived right next to (or with) each other, ate all our meals together, and had lots of classes in common, so it makes sense. We quickly developed our own inside jokes, and it felt like a real family away from home.

This semester, the spring, is very different from the fall semester. There is more than double the amount of students, and our schedule is structured quite differently so that our classes are a sensible size. We also have new family groups. I am in family group 10 again, because one specific teacher has a sense of humour and likes my accent when I say ten.

A new class we have regularly is performance training. We are learning a big piece of traditional Danish gymnastics that we will perform at a bunch of places and events.

It is also winter at the moment, so the daylight hours are short (vitamin D pills are very important), and it is quite chilly. It even snowed, and the lake froze so much that you could walk on it.

Being at Ollerup has been one of the best things I’ve ever done or experienced, I am so happy to be here. I have learnt so many things and met so many great people, it’s the most amazing place to get to live. The rest of the semester is packed, so all of us students are very busy, tired, and hungry, but it’s the best fun. It’s not really hard work because we get to work on projects and skills together.

Ollerup is such a fantastic opportunity for people who love gymnastics, because you get to learn about a completely different culture and way to learn gymnastics. Danish gymnastics and European Teamgym is very different from the way we do things in NZ. Despite Denmark not being well known for its artistic or rhythmic gymnastics (different from the rhythmical offered at Ollerup), they are phenomenal gymnasts and have a unique and progressive outlook on sport as a whole. They also understand how an active and sport-involved population benefits the society as a whole.

It’s also perfect for people who want to be social, and learn more about others, their world, and their place in the world. Ollerup isn’t just about sport, but also practical life skills, democracy, building relationships, living in the present, and becoming a well-rounded part of the community.

Maia Brinkley, Rimutaka Gymsports.