Carlien Kotze

Hi there, I’m Carlien — a personal trainer and sports massage therapist that truly cares!

My work is centred around genuinely helping my clients, ensuring that they can see and feel long-term improvement in their movement and well-being.

Currently, I have my own practice in Maastricht, The Netherlands, with clients both in-person and online. However, my path towards the specialised, sustainable care I offer today started a long time ago in my home country, South Africa.

How it all started:

I have had an affinity with sport throughout my life. Growing up in Pretoria, South Africa, I was a provincial gymnast and swimmer until age 14. I continued to swim competitively throughout high school and university, eventually incorporating strength training into my programme.

During my two pregnancies, I remained a keen swimmer and reintroduced strength work and running again in my 30s. In 2009, my family and I moved to Cape Town, and it was here that I was able to kickstart my journey into triathlon training and pursue my career in fitness and wellness.

Flash forward:

25 years of being an active sportswoman.

15 years experience in the fitness industry.

In 2010, I completed my personal training certification and set up my own personal training studio. Since then, I have continued to take initiative to learn more and more!

I am always keen to deepen my understanding of the body and further develop my practice.  

For the past 15 years, I have had the privilege of mentorship under highly skilled professionals in the field, such as Richard Woolrich and James Raaff, whose guidance and support have fundamentally shaped me into the personal trainer I am today.

I am also a disciplined, ambitious student of self-study, constantly adding to my bank of knowledge and expertise. During my time in Cape Town, I expanded my studio with Pilates, Power Plate training and Sports Massage, whilst also training consistently for sporting events such as Iron Man 70.3, the Cape Town Cycle Tour and the Two-Oceans Half-Marathon.

Being able to combine my love for movement, my passion for learning and my purpose of helping others fulfilled me greatly. And being surrounded by the beautiful nature of Cape Town was an extraordinary gift.

The opportunities for exercise and exploration were immense: hiking, trail running, open water swimming, mountain biking. The list goes on!

I am lucky to have experienced the joy and accomplishment of exercise, but I have also had to confront and work with the pain and struggle.

In 2017, I broke my leg in a mountain bike accident.

Recovering from this injury, was extremely difficult and frustrating but it also taught me to slow down and pay attention to my body’s own specific needs.

With the help of my mentor, well-known biokineticist, Richard Woolrich, and physiotherapist Claire Louw, I achieved full recovery before moving to Maastricht in 2020.

My first hand experience with injury and rehabilitation has informed my philosophy and practice even more. Although it was in an unexpected and painful way, my purpose to understand the body better continued!

I became determined to learn more and more, not only to help myself but to help others in the most holistic way possible.

Understanding the human body itself is already a highly complex task, but each human body has its own history of movement influenced by one’s specific circumstances, lifestyle and genetics.

For me it is vital to see each client as unique but also to look at the individual as a whole. This is the foundation of the work I do with my clients. Learn more about my philosophy.

Besides my knowledge and expertise, I am passionate about what I do and will go above and beyond to help my clients. I truly want to make a difference in their lives. It brings me joy to teach my clients.

Together we see their improvements, their perseverance in the face of struggle, how they become stronger and feel more capable and at home in their bodies. I say “we” because I work with every client as a partnership where we are a team.

The best results happen when a client’s interest and dedication align with my efforts. I give them their personal roadmap, guiding them and supporting them as they do the work.

They have, without a doubt, developed and advanced, and with each new level we learn and grow together.