Austrian born, Marion Oppel stands out from the Zakynthian crowd for many reasons other than she is tall and blond.  For one, vet Marion has all the tenacity of a pack of terriers and secondly, by her own admission, a fair measure of obstinacy found in many of the island donkeys!  Either way these are valuable qualities if you want to establish a career in Greece, but what really sets Marion apart is her determination to achieve personal goals.

Marion was just five years old when she decided she wanted to be a vet; twenty years later, she found herself rushing through her PHD in Vienna, eager to be back in Zakynthos to continue a holiday romance.  When Marion graduated, she moved directly to the island to be with her Greek boyfriend.

From the outset of moving here, Marion had every intention to become a practitioner.  However getting her qualifications officially verified, signed, sealed and stamped to allow her to practice in Greece became an almost insurmountable hurdle.  After battling for two frustrating years with the bureaucrats, she resorted to hiring a lawyer.  As a stopgap, Marion took a part-time reps position with a German Tour operator.  Her diligent and attentive manner endeared her to both tourists and colleagues, earning her promotion and a reputation for hard work.  Ironically, the more settled Marion became with her new life on Zakynthos – the more unsettled her personal life became and when her relationship ended, family and friends anticipated her return to Austria.  Marion chose to stay put; on a professional level, her veterinary papers came through and she had started to practice on a mobile basis in between guiding, gaining valuable experience and a growing clientele.

By 2005, Marion had built up a loyal client list and she decided to concentrate full time on her profession.  She set her sights on entering the state veterinary service, studying hard to gain the stipulated language proficiency certificates in advanced Greek and English.  Her persistence paid off and she was contracted to the state for two successive years.  Legislative procedures require that a two-year term of contracts must be followed by a permanent position.  Marion’s recent application for a state vet position went up against twenty-six other applicants; she made the final stage but unfortunately lost out by a whisker to a more senior candidate.  Undeterred, Marion has planned to invest in ultrasound diagnostics and this month starts a residency in Austria to train in the technology.  Her purpose is to specialise in equine gynaecology and expand the capabilities of her practise.

On a personal note, Marion is enjoying the extra time she has to spend with her three-year-old son Panagiotis and devoted partner Yiannis.  August will be a cause for celebration when they marry.