From Amsterdam to Australia

Hendrika de Vries was just a little girl when she experienced brutal violence and hunger in WWII Amsterdam. She immigrated to Australia as a professional teenage swimmer, and in her new book, “Open Turns: From Dutch Girl to New Australian,” she chronicles her experiences during this time, and how they reflect what young women go through today. In this interview, Hendrika shares her youth in Amsterdam and the experience of growing up during the war. She talks abut the family’s immigration to Australia and how she got into swimming, even shattering a few records in the process. Hendrika shares how she views current events and their similarities to what she went through as a child, as well as how she found the courage to overcome these struggles. She talks about th writing process and what it was like to revisit this part of her life.