About Minette

I was born on 17 May 1970 in Pretoria, South Africa.  I came over to the UK in 1996 on a two year working holiday & study period. However, after just 4 months in the country, I met the man of my dreams (although I didn't know it then). We got married just over a year later and now have a lovely 8 year old boy, Thomas.

I have now been in the UK for more than 10 years, but there is always the possibility of going back home to South Africa. I have recently become a British Citizen and now hold two nationalities. Holding a British Passport will make travelling easier since South African Passports are very restrictive as to which countries you can visit without obtaining Visa's and going though lots of red tape at the Airports. I miss my country and my people a lot and not a day goes by that something doesn't remind me of home.

I enjoy the outdoors and love adrenalin type hobbies and sports. I did my skydiving course at the 'Free Fall Factory' in South Africa and my NAUI Open Water 1 scuba diving course at Sodwana through the 'Scuba Diving Corporation' based in Johannesburg. However, these sports are very expensive to do in the UK, which means that I will have to wait untill we live in South Africa again before I can consider taking it up again.....although I'll probably be too old by then.....

I was heavily involved with Judo up until the age of 27. (I started in January 1976 when I was only 5 years old). I stopped just a few months after meeting John. I was not too bad, as I got my first medal at the South African Championships when I was only 8 years old. Although only a bronze medal, it was still an extremely good performance and I was very proud of myself. Since then, at the SA's, I have won a couple more bronze medals, a silver and also a gold medal in 1986! I have qualified for the South African Championships almost every year since I was 8. Up until the age of 16 (when I was still fighting as a 'junior'), I rarely came away from regional competitions with less than a 1st or 2nd place.

Have a look at some of my hobbies here.