Betram Eske-Lund
Denmark
Betram Ekse-Lund, middle, is a foreign exchange student from Denmark is with Chase Corbett, left, and Scott Cooksey, right, who are hosting Ekse-Lund. They posed before New Albany’ s Senior Night during the swimming and diving season. Photo provided | Scott Cooksey
“ Thankfully they had a soccer team,” he said.“ The hardest part of me adjusting here was that I didn’ t know anybody.”
From not knowing anyone, the other big hurdle has been the language.
To come to the U. S., most of the foreign-exchange students are required to take English language proficiency tests.
“ I think the language was the biggest thing,” said Chloe Bekol, who is an exchange student at New Albany.“ That was a change, because it was based off everything. If you don’ t know the language, then you can’ t have friends.”
Through learning English, Bekol was able to make friends among the girls on the NAHS basketball team. Bekol, who has played the sport since she was 10 years old, said basketball is different in France than it is in the U. S.
“ In the U. S., we have practice every single day at the school,” Bekol, a 6-foot-2 center who played in 23 games for the Bulldogs, said.“ In France, it’ s a club sport that doesn’ t include school.”
Bekol is from the west part of France, near Nantes, a port city along the Loire and Sevre Nantaise rivers.
Bekol is being hosted by Augelique Walls, who also fosters four kids and has adopted two, through the Pan Atlantic Foundation. She worked with Ann Offutt, who also has a student at New Albany.“ Not all of the schools accept foreign-exchange students, I think it’ s awesome that New Albany does,” Walls said.“ They’ re all listed as seniors, then they could participate in all of the senior activities that they hear about it and they get to experience it while they’ re here.”
Walls has participated in the foreign-exchange program for the past four years. Through sports, Bekol was able to meet players and first-year New Albany coach Kelsy Taylor.
“ Coach Taylor is an African-American and she was playing basketball at New Albany and she’ s over 6-feet tall,” Walls said.“ To have that kind of example as a coach, I think it has made a difference for Chloe because in France she doesn’ t have that. There’ s not a lot of biracial kids who go to her school. So, for her to have a coach she can look eye-to-eye, who looks similar to her, it has made her more confident in herself because she doesn’ t stand out.”
During the girls’ basketball season, Bekol posted a career-high 14 points and eight rebounds against North Harrison on Dec. 4.
“ We had lost a lot of games, but I think this team has so much potential,” Bekol said.“ I think they have a lot of potential for seasons to come.”
Eske-Lund is the last Dane. He is at New Albany, where he has involved himself in boys’ soccer, swimming and track & field.
For the Bulldogs’ swim team, he finished 16th in the 100-yard freestyle at the Hoosier Hills Conference meet.
MAR / APR 2026 NEWS AND TRIBUNE SPORTS MAGAZINE PAGE NO. 9