Growing up, my dream was clear: I wanted to become a professional netball player. Every practice, every game, every moment on the court brought me closer to that dream. In 2021 I decided to move to a new school with a stronger and better netball program, I was excited, believing it was my chance to grow and improve. In 2022, I made the under 16 A netball team. At first, it felt like an achievement, but that year turned out to be one of the most difficult years in my life. My relationship with my coaches was tough, and I constantly felt like I wasn’t good enough. I pushed myself harder than ever, training endlessly, not because I felt confident but because I was trying to prove to myself and my coaches that I was worthy of being a netball player. Injuries piled up, but I ignored them because nothing matterd more to me than me being on that netball court.
Then came the tryouts for Fast 5. During the tryout I tore a ligament in my ankle, and for the first time, I couldn’t play at all. Even though I was injured, I couldn’t stay away from the netball court. Four weeks later, against the advice of everyone around me, I climbed back onto the court, desperate to play again. In December 2022, I gave everything I had to prepare for the first team tryouts in 2023. I worked harder than ever. But two days before the tryouts, my dream shattered again when I tore my ligament for the second time. This time my physio warned me that if I didn’t take care of my injuries, I might not be able to walk again in the future. It broke me and I had no choice but to sit out for six to eight weeks.
Durning my fifth week of recovery, something incredible happened. We had a weekend church sessions because Brother Jerry was visting. On Friday night, 3 February 2023, Brother Jerry called everyone forward who needed healing. I stepped forward with my brokeness, my confusion and my pain. He placed his hands on my forehead and in that moment Jesus healed me. The following Wednesday, I returned to the physio for a check-up. He ran tests on both my ankles, and by the end of the tests it showed that my left ankle -the one that had been torn twice- was stronger than my right ankle. That healing was nothing short of a mircale. I believed that God’s plan for my life was clear: to become a professional netball player. I made the under 17 A netball team and was happy about it, but something still didn’t feel right. I felt lost and sad because I wasn’t where I wanted to be, and for the first time, I questioned what God’s plan for my life really was.
In 2023, I struggled deeply with were I should go next. My Mom casually mentioned iXchange as something to consider for the future, and although I didn’t think much of it at first, the thought of iXchange kept coming back to me. Every time I prayed about my future, whether it was about studying, playing netball, or were my life was heading, iXchange was always in my heart. After our last game at SA’s, I finally made the decision, I would go to iXchange in 2025. The moment I made that choice I felt at peace that I hadn’t felt in years. I knew it was the right decision. Since then, I’ve never doubted it.
Looking back I can see that God has been with me through every step of my journey. From the highs to the lows, from the court to the moment I felt lost , He was guiding me to something greater than I ever imagined. I now know that His plans are always better than mine. My story is a testimony of faith, healing and trusting in God’s perfect timing.