Annabel grew up on a farm in South Africa, where she taught her first swimming lesson to a rather unusual student - her pet monkey. She swam competitively throughout school, representing her state at an early age, but did not have the fiercely competitive streak required to take it any further. After her university years, she moved to Australia, where swimming remained a constant in her life as she explored the stunning pools and beaches across that swim-obsessed land down under. Today, swimming is a constant in her life, as she spends much of her time in the ocean surfing with her son.