Rob Horgan“MY name’s Katrina and, like the hurricane, I’m unstoppable,” says the amazing Katrina Bradley, a 53-year-old human dynamo who’s living proof that the words ‘expat’ and ‘success’ do mix.
Today, Katrina is the proud owner of The Peacock – a luxurious but affordable grill bar in Benalmadena.
That’s on top of running a property business, promoting UK musicians along the Costa del Sol and organising a volunteer translation service for the local hospital.
It’s fair to say that Katrina has been there, done it all and now she’s got the T-bone!
“I’ve been quite successful in my time here,” she says with understatement,. “I’ve done a load of different things but now I am really focused on the restaurant. I have a real passion for food and I think that is what has made it a success.”
Katrina was a green Glaswegian teenager when she relocated to Benalmadena in 1980. In more than three decades she has never looked back.
Now living in Arroyo del Miel, she has watched her adopted town transform out of all recognition.
“When I first came to Benalmadena 34 years ago it was very quiet. Even the beaches were empty,” she told the Olive Press.
“Seeing it go from nothing to how it is today has been incredible, like watching a child grow.
“In a weird way I feel proud of the area. And as the area has grown, I have grown along with it.”
In the early days Katrina worked at the iconic Sunset Beach hotel. She was there from its opening day for the next 20 years.
In that time she married a Spaniard, brought up her three daughters, volunteered for Age Concern and slowly developed her many other enterprises.
It wasn’t always easy. “Benalmadena is a hard place to survive. It is only due to sheer grit and determination that I am still here. A lot of businesses have died out over the past few years. I refuse to die,” says this hurricane of a woman.
“I will always be here, everybody knows me for a workaholic. I have to give everything my best so, at the end of the day, my feet hurt from running around so much!”
It looks like Hurricane Katrina’s success story in Benalmadena is set to run and run…
Not sure if Hurricane Katrina is a good analogy for a successful business woman, – it was devastating and most destructive