Lise Matchitt has a fitness regime that leaves others in the dust. Photo / Stephen Parker
By Jill Nicholas
Looks can be so deceptive. It's a cliche of course but one that becomes a truism when linked to Lise Matchitt.
Even the most cursory of glances will tell you this is someone of Nordic heritage; her fair skin and hair are classically Scandinavian, she positively glows with vitality.
Yet there is a far more depth to this woman whose birthplace was Denmark than meets the eye. Below that radiant exterior lurks something much darker. Lise (pronounced Lisa) has dragged herself through the mud by which depression is now defined. She recognises she is one of the fortunate ones to have shaken the condition from the metaphorical gumboots that bogged her down in it, but she continues to work at it to keep the bleakness at bay.
"After losing two partners to cancer I was in a complete tizz, totally overwhelmed with worry, knew I had to buck up," she says. "You can take all the medicine prescribed but the rest is still up to you and that can be very, very difficult to achieve. I guess it's in my favour that I'm a very determined, smiley person."
Her personal prescription is a fitness regime that leaves others in her dust. She runs, mountain bikes, walks, tramps and until recently invested "four solid hours a week" in intensive aerobics. She has also discovered mindfulness.
We seek her guidance on how best define this contemporary buzzword.
"It's very much about keeping your body active, counterbalanced with keeping your mind relaxed with breathing exercises. It's a mixture of Eastern meditation and completely focusing on the present every second of the day. It really does help you to worry less, put anxieties aside."
She surrounds herself with colour - cherry red is her favourite. Her vivid wall-to-wall art collection radiates warmth.
She credits her medical know-how for giving her the ability to overcome depression's darkness.
Lise is a highly qualified nurse who has worked in a range of specialist fields.
Her first Rotorua job was in the hospital's Intensive Care Unit, before 24 years of district nursing, followed by a role as clinical services manager at Glenbrae rest home.
Most recently she spent five years at London's St Thomas' Hospital.
That was after depression blindsided her. It's unsurprising that it did.
She cared for her late husband, Martin Matchitt, and subsequent partner, Clive Kapua, as each battled terminal cancer. What is surprising is that she considers there are worse ways to die than from cancer: "like motor neurone disease when a person is totally trapped in a useless body".
Goodness, all this is becoming far too sombre and certainly something Our People had no inkling of when we approached Lise in our quest to add her nationality to our collection of locals' countries of origin. Until now there's been a glaring gap where Scandinavians are concerned.
It transpires Lise's been in New Zealand far longer than Denmark, arriving as a 25-year-old lured by Danish friends already settled here and singing Rotorua's praises.
Finishing her training in Copenhagen, Lise considered nursing in Saudi Arabia and Africa. "But they had a lot of political unrest, New Zealand didn't and it's like Denmark - beautiful, green, with a very good democracy."
Lise's first night in Rotorua was an introduction not just to a new country but a new life. She met builder Martin Matchitt at a barbecue to introduce her to the kiwi lifestyle.
"It's a bit banal I know but it literally was love at first sight, that's the truth. He was a very lovely man, we soon married and were together nine years before our son Peter was born. He was 10 when his father died."
Her husband's death from liver cancer terminated 24 years of togetherness.
Turning to running "for therapy" Lise joined the Rotorua Athletic Club.
"I've always loved being outdoors, keeping fit, I met Clive there, he was very knowledgeable, knew every track in the forest [Redwoods], everyone loved running with him."
They coupled up but chose not to marry. In the early 2000s they set out to run the Rotorua Marathon together "but ended up walking it".
Clive damaged his knee, there was no question of him pulling out, it took ages but at least we completed it, I felt really jubilant. I mainly enjoy halfs [marathons] - with a full one you can definitely overtax your body. I did intensive running with Clive six days a week for 10 years."
That dried up when Clive, a printer, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. "His father and older brother died from it too, obviously it was genetic."
To help her deal with her second major bereavement and the depression that followed Lise chose the therapy of travel, moving to London.
"London gave me the opportunity to be close to Denmark, my mother was growing old so it was easy for me to get to see her."
A nursing bureau sent her to St Thomas', the hospital where Florence Nightingale trained. "I was there five and a half years and now realise I never got to see her museum, I guess I was always too busy."
Among the areas she nursed in were the haemophiliac unit and a new acute ward trialling a pilot programme to treat stroke victims "as quickly, efficiently and effectively as possible. Strokes are such horrible things."
Three years in the chest clinic followed. "With its high immigrant population London has a lot of people with chest problems, tuberculosis isn't uncommon."
From St Thomas' Lise moved into private nursing – more correctly, she became that wonderfully old-fashioned person: a companion.
Her "charge" was a retired mining company managing director in his 80s who lived in the upmarket Cotswolds and wanted someone to accompany him on cruises. What not to like about this job? Lise has seen a great deal more of the world at his side. "I was well paid but on top of that I became great friends with him and his family. Last year I went back to England and cruised around the UK and its outer islands with him."
After 18 months as a companion she felt the pull of home and returned to the house she'd rented out for seven years.
Enter her life's present phase: turning her home into an Airbnb.
"I had my first guests in September 2017, and have been going non-stop since. I meet marvellous people of all ages from such a diverse range of countries. It's absolutely delightful that, keeping myself healthy, active and the joy of my Christian faith sustains me."
LISE MATCHITT:
Born: Jorgen, Denmark, 1951. "It's on a fjord."
Education: Jorgen School "from primary through to high school". Nursing training Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen
Family: Son Peter (Rotorua)
Interests: "I love the outdoors, the bush, beaches, the forest, keeping fit. Member U3A [University of the Third Age]. "I love the arts, film, theatre, opera, operatics, art galleries, museums, travel, reading. I find them all very therapeutic."
On Rotorua: "It's looking better than it ever has, there's so much cultural diversity, at times it's like London with so many festivals on."
On her life: "It's been a varied life with an enormous amount of support from friends, family, neighbours and work colleagues when my husband and partner were dying."
Personal philosophy: "Have good friends, they make your life good."
Where to get help: ¦ Lifeline: 0800 543 354
(available 24/7)
The remains were discovered in a rural area of Waikato earlier this week.