Mother courage

Belinda McKenzie with her children (from left) Brooks, Jonah and Karlos.

Belinda McKenzie is a mum, wine enthusiast and burns survivor. When she was 12-years-old she received burns to most of her body but that hasn’t stopped her from living life to the full as she explained to ANGELA KEMP.

As bubbly as a glass of her favourite tipple, Belinda McKenzie, exudes a joie de vivre that belies a tragic past. She’s confident, ambitious, fierce – a woman in her prime.

This wasn’t always the case. In the dark days following a house fire at her Glenbrook Beach home she learned to grow up quickly and accept she couldn’t do the things ‘normal’ teenagers enjoyed.

Belinda had been reading in bed by candlelight when she fell asleep and the unthinkable happened. She awoke to her bed and flannelette pyjamas in flames and suffered burns to 63 per cent of her body from the waist up.

Now 26 years later, after more than 60 surgeries, Belinda is one of the most positive women you’ll be lucky enough to meet. She’s a survivor.

She was one of 20 women who recently attended the fifth annual Women’s Burns Retreat at Castaways resort at Kariohati beach organised by the New Zealand Burn Support Group.

“This is the second retreat I’ve been to and I found it very enlightening,” says Belinda. “You’re owning your scars, owning who you are. Some people get that early in their life, others don’t get it until they’re in their 60s.

“The retreat is like a sisterhood. We’re all different, all from different walks of life, but there is that one thing we all have in common that nobody else can understand. For the longest time I didn’t think anybody knew how I felt. The biggest thing is for women to be around others who get it.”

At the end of last year Belinda was asked to record a prestigious TedX talk about her experiences after becoming a sought-after speaker and an inspiration to other burns survivors.

“Life is never as bad as you think but it can only get better if you chose to make it better. You need to want it better, to enjoy life regardless of how you look,” she says with conviction.

“I can’t hide what happened to me, it’s the first thing people see when I walk into a room. It was really hard as a teenager. At the time I was at Glenbrook School and after that I tried to go to Waiuku College for a bit. I had to grow up really fast and I noticed that children of my age were still just having fun, being kids, while I was having surgeries and trying to fit in.” “When I became a mum, I thought it would be good for my kids to see there were other people who looked like me.

“When my children were growing up they didn’t see anything wrong with me, they just saw me as Mum. One of my biggest fears was walking my child into school and having all his friends make fun of him because his parent looked different.

“I thought the best way to deal with it was head on so I made a point of introducing myself to the other parents and started a mothers’ group at school. Looking like this, people don’t know what to say to you so you have to push the boundaries so people can see who you really are.

“A lot of parents and adults are ruder than children. I can be feeling amazing and looking my best and somebody will walk past and say something disgusting under their breath. You have to develop a very thick skin but generally speaking, most people are pretty good.

“I’m used to putting my emotions away to make others feel better, something I’ve taken through all my adult life. When I became a mother it taught me to own everything and be true to myself.” Joyful burn surviours gather at Castaways for a weekend retreat.

Belinda lives in Pukekohe with her husband of 11 years, Gareth, and three sons, Karlos (8), Jonah (5) and two-year-old Brooks. Now 38, she’s building a reputation as an on-line content creator with her brand ‘Whine-o Wednesday’.

“I’m a very people person and during last year’s lockdown I was very bored so I decided to go live on Facebook. It was daunting but as I’m a bit of an extrovert, I thought I’d give it a go.

“I grabbed a bottle of wine and had a shared wine tasting with my friends and family each Wednesday during lockdown. People asked me if I was going to continue with it afterwards so, I have.

“I have been sponsored by wine companies throughout New Zealand to promote their wine and I’m even doing a wine tasting in Henderson. It’s just going from strength to strength.”

Belinda is also in the process of writing her biography which she hopes will be both inspirational and motivational and, for the past year, she has been working as a film extra, a job she loves. She can’t reveal the projects, but be assured they’ll be on a screen near you soon!

Inspired to make a difference

Head Girl Ashley Rohloff and Head Boy Harry Winter are keen to celebrate ACG Strathallan’s irrepressible spirit while continuing to strengthen the school’s strong bond with the local community.

Harry Winter

Looking to make a “positive, longterm impact” on the school they love, both Ashley and Harry have been inspired by the work and commitment of previous student leaders. Accordingly, their goals for 2021 focus on providing support and guidance to younger students.

“Offering to serve as a leader is my way of giving back,” says Harry. “As Senior students, we are responsible for being positive role models to younger members of the student body – to listen, encourage, motivate and lead.”

For Ashley, her desire to pay forward the kindness she was shown by older students has been her biggest motivation.

“Being taken under the wing of older girls when I joined the school’s premier netball team in Year 9 made it so much easier for me to settle into school life. I want to try and help as many students as possible have that same experience. “Being recognised as Head Girl or Head Boy means it’s easier for young students to approach us and enables them to chat to us if they’re nervous, need advice or even just some company.”

The family culture at Strathallan is among Ashley’s favourite things and is one reason she has found the school to be such a perfect fit.

“Older students tend to take younger ones under their wing, especially on sports teams and with other extracurricular activities,” she says.

“This ability to form close friendships across different year groups has made my school life so enjoyable. I love that as students, we are constantly supported and that every success is celebrated. If you are willing to work hard, the teachers have all the tools needed to help you reach your potential.” and collaboration with his vision for 2021 including “the continuing development of Strathallan’s evergrowing school spirit”.

An advocate for greater student presence at sports games and arts performances, the motivated teen is eager to expand the school’s current involvement in outreach initiatives at the Papakura Marae community dinner programme and Hingia Gardens.

For students looking to pursue leadership roles, Harry urges them to make the most of every opportunity. “Strathallan has a lot to offer, and the more experience you get from doing different things, the better. Another piece of advice is to be kind and keep high standards for yourself – not just from the moment you walk into class but always.” Ashley Rohloff

If you’d like to know more about ACG Strathallan, please join us for our next Open Day on Saturday 15th May or visit strathallan.acgedu.com

Ashley and Harry’s student videos can be seen at the following link strathallan.acgedu.com/schoolinformation/student-videos