Whao!!  it feels like last week that we returned from the Commonwealth Games, and now its already the “6 Month Count Down” to the 2011 Netball World Cup final.  Just the thought of it stirs up an extreme excitement inside of me to go out there and train even harder.  To get up in the morning, knowing that I want to be faster, better, stronger and more skillful than the Natalie von Burtoch’s, Laura Langman’s or Temepara George’s…. I got a message from Irene (van Dyk) yesterday saying that they’re off to England for a test series….that alone made me jump out of bed this morning!

Even though it was December, and most people had a summer holiday, I really hope (and pray) that the rest of my team was training – as this year is going to be a huge one!  We have our first training camp at the end of this month in Pretoria – and from there its ALL GO with a packed programme until the World Cup.

We had some negative publicity in the press lately, but I believe its up to us to change the opinion and perception of the media as well as our supporters and the rest of South Africa.  Netball is a sport with unbelievable potential and it will be a dream come true to see that potential comes to pass – and I really believe in my heart that it means to bring back a medal from the 2011 Netball World Cup.

So to my team – let’s take on the challenge and flatten the mountain ahead of us, by taking it on one step at a time, with a POSITIVE ATTITUDE, ENDLESS DETERMINATION and THE WILL TO ENDURE!!!

I trust that my blog message in 6 months will be YAY!!!  We’ve done it!!! Let the journey begins and lets make the best of the next 6 months – only to look back with pride and endless joy and satisfaction!!

To all you beautiful girls out there who has a NEW year ahead of you with NEW challenges, NEW teams and NEW seasons in your life, may this NEW year be an unforgettable one – may you grab each and every oppertunity that comes your way and may your dream stir up the energy inside of you to get up early, to train hard, to overcome obstacles, to face challenges and to celebrate victories – big or small!!

May this NEW beginning of 2011 be a NEW start to NEW oppertunities and NEW horizons for you all!!!

Blessings!

Lx

MAY YOU ALL HAVE AN AWESOME YEAR – packed with JOY, PEACE, HAPPINESS, MIRACLES, GOOD TIMES, HIGHLIGHTS and SUCCESS!!!!  and may this year also bring enough challenges to keep you humble, make you strong, build your faith and keep you motivated!!

Life’s full of challenges – we face some daily – some are so small we hardly recognize them, which means we often take things so easily for granted.  And there’s the bigger one’s – which we cant miss, but sometimes they’re so big that we lose sight of the vision or dream we have…. don’t allow your challenges to stand in the way of your vision or dream.  Always have such a clear picture of your dream in your head (&heart!!) that nothing will be able to move your focus from that dream.  Take on the challenge – whether big or small.  Use the obstacles thats in your way as stepping stones, rather than to allow them to be stumbling blocks in your way.  Your attitude towards any challenge in your life is going to determine the outcome of that challenge.  MAY you overcome each challenge with a POSITIVE ATTITUDE, DETERMINATION & A WILL TO ENDURE!!!

I wish you ALL the BEST for 2011!!!

LIVE EACH DAY A LEGENDARY LIFE!!!

Blessings, Liezel x

Went to ‘Sistahood’ – Womans day – at Hillsong church – with our guest and senior pastor Bobby Houston!  How awesome the message – so simple, but SO powerful – I have to share it with you!

It was about “SMALL BEGINNINGS” – and to me it was so appropriate on ‘everyday life’ but also so much on SPORT!

We often look for the big breakthroughs and the big wins and highlights, but in the meantime we lose focus and lose heart, while we’re busy with the small beginnings.  All big endings, highlights and victories need to start with a small beginning!  Make the most of every small beginning – persevere, have patience – look at the bigger picture!

Afterwards I went to Camps Bay (how blessed I am to be so close to the beach, I know!! Love it!!) – for a run – the furthest ive ran since my calf tear, but what a beautiful run!  Camps Bay to Seapoint and back….maybe I pushed the limit a bit, but hey, I felt great!

While I was running I was thinking quite a lot (as I always do when I run) – and specifically didn’t take my ipod, so I could embrace the ocean – and all its beauty!  As I ran, and as I got more tired, I realize that ive got the wind from beneath (on the way to Seapoint) and it was kind of downhill, and I still have to turn around and go back – as in ‘uphill’ and ‘against the wind’….half way on my way back to Camps Bay, I almost convinced myself that it will be ‘ok’ to walk ‘uphill and against the wind’ – and I thought by myself ‘heck no, keep pressing on’, of course you can do this – I kept running and came around a bend, and there was a group of tourists on the side of the road, enjoying the view, and as I ran past them, they spontaneously start cheering – was so uplifting – felt like im leading in a race – and just a few metres back I almost ‘gave up’.

And it hit me hard – and I realize – so often its like that in life – we do something, and we’re good at it, and we start off well, but then something happens, and things turn around a bit, and we get the wind from ahead, and we struggle uphill, busy climbing the ladder, and it gets hard and tough, and it crosses our mind to just ‘step out’ or ‘take a break’ instead of pressing through.  Sometimes it happens when the end is in sight, and sometimes it happens when we’ve just passed the hardest part.  There will always be people – family, friends, coaches, team mates – who is cheering you on, who’s there for you – somewhere along your journey – to lift you up, support you, encourage you, to cheer you on.  Often we are so focused on ‘the wind or the hill ahead, or the difficulties we’re facing” that we don’t acknowledge or forget to appreciate the view along the way, the highlights, the landmarks, the people who cheer us on.   

And if we keep pressing on, the uphill comes down – the beautiful beach appears, and the satisfaction, enjoyment and victory over shadow it all!

May you appreciate, acknowledge and treasure the ones that cheer you on, make time for them, love them and enjoy them.

May your journey be challenging enough so you won’t get bored, but also give you the opportunity to rise above, to press through, to stretch your own abilities and to embrace every moment along the way!

 Embrace your small beginning!!!

My injury (calf tear from Commonwealth Games) is still on the recovery road, but is already a 100 times better than 6 weeks ago!  I can run, jump and train painfree – yay!!!, but still struggle a bit to ‘dance’ (vas…sokkie) the night away!  hehe!!

I have my first court session this week – sooo excited!! 

With 2011 just around the corner, and the new NGS (Netball Grand Series) coming up – we are all pumped and awaiting a eventful year.

Apart from the NGS for 2011, it is the NETBALL WORD CUP in Singapore in JULY 2011!!!!

Happy training!! & enjoy the beautifull sunny weather – love it!!!

Looking forward to it!  You can all watch it on Supersport channel 6 at 8am tomorrow morning!!

GO SPAR PROTEAS!!!!!!

Im still ‘recovering’ and in ‘rehab’….and still praying and standing in faith for a miracle for my torn calf muscle.  I know God is at work and that His plans are bigger and better than mine.  Like my scripture said today…. “My grace is sufficient for you, for MY powe is made PERFECT in your weakness”…2 Corinthians 12:9 -  and i will stand on that promise.

To those of you who have ever struggled with an injury or maybe struggling at the moment – hang in there – these trials and turbulations will seriously only makes you stronger & better!!!

Blessings!!!

GO SA PROTEAS!!!!

Unfortunately we didnt play on the first day, but we stepped out on court this morning against England and surely have put up a great performance.  Unfortunately we couldnt keep the pace and intensity for the full 60 minutes…..  We lost the game by 18 goals, 54-36, but i still dont think the end result was a true reflection of the game.  I hope you all watched it and could take something out of the game – we sure did!!!

I have to admit – it was a huge disappointment for me not to be able to play – until now i had to keep it a secret, but the secret is out – i have a tear in my calf muscle and some tears in my eyes   Im still hopeful that i will be able to play on friday against NZ and im praying for a miracle – as I know with GOd, ALL things are POSSIBLE.  Im standing strong in faith and believing that this also happens for a reason, even though i cannot see it at the moment (as my view is a bit glazy…)

I know that things like this always makes one stronger, so i believe to come out on the other side of this as a ‘weight lifter’ hehe!!!  not!!…. just a very strong woman of God!!

THANKS so much for all your support!!  We truly appreciate it heaps!!!

We’re playing vs Papa New Guinea tomorrow afternoon at 5pm, 1h30 SA time, and we hope to put up a good performance as well as a good score!!!

BELIEVE to ACHIEVE!!!! 

Live to leave a LEGACY!!!

Lx

Hope you all watched the SPECTACULAR opening!!!  it was truly amazing in traditional Indian style!  We thoroughly enjoyed it!  Its just amazing to be in the midst of the 7000 top athletes in the world and surrounded by a crowd of almost 60000 people!

So let the games begin…..

We have arrived safe & sound in India and finally settled in the athlete’s village.  It is AMAZING, really – not half as bad as the media made it out to be – or Delhi did a very good clean up.  The athletes village is really cool – everything is here at hand and we walk wherever we want to be - apart from to and from the training and competition venues – thats a treat itself – getting through the traffic with police and security, escorting us in front and behind the bus, as well as a ‘trooper’ with a big gun (defence force) guarding us in the bus.  We really feel safe – the security is so strict it sometimes freeks you out and might frustrate others, but we are sure that they have our best at heart and protect us.  And  then….the dining hall is absolutely fantastic – you can eat what you want when you want 24/7 – so we better watch our weight!!  luckily we’re training hard and sweating so much in this heat – which means we drink loads of water too! 

Ok, back to NETBALL – as thats what we’re here for…..

So far we had 3 training session – and on our first day we even had the oppertunity to play vs India – who is in the other pool – it was good to get out on court and get the feel of it.  Tomorrow we are playing a practise match vs Samoa – looking forward to that as that is part of our build up to our first match on wednesday vs England…..cant wait.

Well, i better go sleep, gotta get up early tomorrow!!!