UM for life. I’ve been here a long time, since I was twenty. When I was studying biochemistry in Turnhout, Belgium, I needed to find an internship. My parents were sure I’d go to Antwerp, and they’d have to drive me there and back every day. So my mother went to the hospital in Maastricht, explaining that her daughter was looking for an internship. She was referred to the university next door. A secretary there rang the biochemistry department and told one of the doctors that there was a woman at the front desk, putting in a good word for her daughter. My mother had even brought our little dog, Pinky. That broke the ice. I was invited to apply, completed my studies and worked briefly at a hospital in Bilzen, Belgium. But I soon returned to Maastricht and never left again.
What book is on your bedside table? I’m not much of a reader, but I really enjoyed The Seven Sisters series by Lucinda Riley – beautifully written. I also love Dan Brown’s hefty novels, but I mostly like to read personal development books. One I’d recommend is Volwassen worden voor volwassenen (“Growing Up for Grown-Ups”), which helps you understand your reactions in certain situations. My mother lives alone in Kanne; my father passed away during the pandemic. As I’m single, I often feel it’s up to me to go see her if she needs anything. I’m happy to do that, especially at weekends, but if I don’t go, I feel guilty. This book teaches you that it’s okay to put yourself first sometimes.
"I worked hard at school. Repeating a year wasn't an option - we couldn't afford it"
The Nijmegen Four Day Marches or the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela? Santiago. Two years ago, I walked the Camino from Porto: 240 kilometres in thirteen days. Five years ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I started walking a lot to clear my head, and I always said that I’d make the pilgrimage if I survived. It was tough, with a lot of rain along the way, but once you start, you don’t want to stop. I walked alone; if I felt like talking to another pilgrim, I did, but if I didn’t have the energy, I just said hello and carried on. The start was rather stressful. I had installed three apps for the route, but when I arrived in Porto, the internet on my phone wasn’t working. I was on the verge of breaking down. I’d attached a scallop shell, the pilgrimage symbol, to my bag. I immediately took it off, thinking it was all over. Luckily, I more or less knew where the starting point was, so I went there. When I arrived, my signal came back. I couldn’t have managed without it – you need to be able to book accommodation and look things up.
What were you like as a child? Rebellious, but serious too. I come from a family of four children – two boys and two girls. My father was Dutch, my mother Belgian. They met in Kanne, a village with more pubs than people. [laughs] I had a boyfriend quite young and went out a lot, together with my youngest brother. I’m the only one in the family who went on to higher education, which was very important to my mother. She was a housewife, my father worked at ENCI, and we didn’t have a lot of money. Despite my somewhat rebellious streak, I worked hard at school. I knew repeating a year wasn’t an option – we simply couldn’t afford it. “Work hard, play hard” is my motto.
"Travelling broadens your horizons, everyone should do it"
I would do anything for my son. I raised him alone from when he was a baby, often putting myself second. He always came first. Having him was the best decision I ever made. I’ve always encouraged him to follow his heart, travel a lot and keep an open mind. Give everything a chance and don’t judge too quickly – there are two sides to every story. Travelling helps you see that. Everyone should travel; it broadens your horizons.
I was named after… My full name is Maria Christella Louisa Guillemine Désirée. My father liked beer. The brands Cristal Alken and Stella Artois supposedly inspired my second name. [laughs] At least, that’s one version of the story. Another is that my parents didn’t want to name me after my grandmother Christine, my mother’s mother, because I was already Maria, after my mother. In Kanne, they call me Noella, as I was born on 23 December. But I started using Stella quite young. I like beer, too.
"Only “the bravest of the brave” can complete that hiking route, I'm proud to count myself among them"
Film or series? I haven’t watched TV since the 2021 floods in Heugem, the neighbourhood where I live. My house is right by the Meuse River, and the water came within five centimetres of my front door. All my belongings had to be moved upstairs, including the TV, which is still there. It was quite frightening; I was evacuated and went to stay with my mother in Kanne. She lives by the canal and was supposed to leave too, but we stayed. I was up all night, but I was able to return home the next day.
Cancer changed me. I’m grateful to have survived. Every day feels like a gift. I’ve become much more aware of how fragile life is – it can all be over in an instant. Last year, I walked from Assisi to Rome. It was summer and incredibly hot. On Facebook, someone wrote that only “the bravest of the brave” can complete that route through the Apennines. I’m proud to count myself among them.