Tine Mathieu

Hello hoopers,

My name is Tine Mathieu, the creator and founder of ‘Hooping Wonderland’ in Belgium.

I live in Belgium and I never saw anyone hooping. So how did I find this circle of love, of life, of joy?

March 2013. During my first winter holiday in France my calf bone got dislocated while snowboarding. When the calf bone moves, it can lock/block the ankle…  I’ve always been a very active, sports addicted person ever since I was a little girl. And I loved adrenaline kicks. Until that one stupid incident in the mountains. The smallest movement of my knee or leg was enough to get my calf bone dislocated again. And my ankle was even worse.

The rest of the story is one with a lot of ignorance, wrong diagnoses, constant pain, and especially: powerlessness. Sports wasn’t an option anymore. Walking hurted a lot, driving a car often ended up in tears and climbing stairs was very painful, sometimes even impossible. I got really frustrated cause at that time, besides my full time job in the security business, I was studying to become a certified fitness instructor.

One fine day I decided to search for fitness material that I would be able to use: yep, found it! A fitness hoop. This is a weighted hoop (+/- 1,5kg) that you can use for a limited time a day. As hooping was low impact on my knee, hello endorphins!! Before I even knew it, I was exceeding my training time because I forgot about everything. I got connected with my body again. What an overwhelming feeling! It was so much fun, stress reducing, a good work-out and it helped me focus again. 

So I wanted more, a lot more! A real hoop to dance and play with, without limitations. And I found it in the Netherlands because I couldn’t find it in Belgium. Thanks to Mirjam Douma, a hoop master & wonderful lady, the spark caught over with lots of oooooeehh’s and aaaaaaaahh’s. That summer (2014) she organized the first Heart and Hoop Dance retreat in the Netherlands: one week of hooping, yoga, meditation, ecstatic dance and workshops with focus on awareness through movement. This is it!! Although I could only waist hoop. I resold my Pukkelpop festival ticket and changed my plans.

I needed to go,…must,…want! And I did!! Heart and Hoop dance, and all the inspiring people there, changed my life in the most positive way ever…I just can’t describe. To resume: I got really connected with myself (mentally and physically) and I was able to ‘let go’ more. I literally stood in the center of my own little universe again and felt so much joy while hooping. 

After seeing the right doctors, I had 2 surgeries ahead. Luckily, cause the necrosis in my foot was getting worse so if my ankle wasn’t treated in time, I would have ended up with a foot prosthesis L

No worries, I will be just fine! Time enough to watch hooping video’s and makes plans for the future ;-) Because I missed hooping so much, I even hooped sitting in bed, on the floor or in the wheelchair.  And I started making hoops & founded my company ‘Hooping Wonderland’ in Belgium (plans turned into goals, and dreams became a reality).

After 2 surgeries and a long rehabilitation, my calf bone stays in place with screws and my foot is doing a lot better. I still need to be very careful, so no more crazy sports and stuff. I became more conscious of my body in general I guess and even more of what a gift life is. Never take anything for granted! And fill your heart with gratitude. Every day there are a lot of things to be thankful for…

After spending 6 months in total in bed, I really felt like catching up all the hooping time that I missed. So while in bed and not knowing if my foot and knee would be ok afterwards, I booked almost every hoop retreat or convention available in the summer, even though I didn’t had the money for it at that time. But it all worked out perfectly and I had the most amazing summer ever! Meeting all those beautiful hoopers and teachers from all over the world who helped me with my hooping process…Love you all!

I even became the first certified Hoop Love Coach and Hoopnotica/Hoopgalaxy Hoop Dance Instructor in Belgium. Nowadays, I offer Hoop classes for adults (a big success!), entertainment on events, a lot of charity and custom made hoops.

Hooping has become my passion, my life... Pure magic! And I want to share it as much as possible.

For all my life I wanted to become good at things: studying, sports, in my professional career... And then, by discovering the hoop, I realized I just wanted to be the best version of ME. As we are all beautiful, incredible powerful beings!

“Self-expression is a vital part of understanding life and enjoying it to the full” ~ Oliver Bowden.

Let's move from our center & flow through life!

All my love,

Tine