La Lucia teen nets her dream
Isabella Ingram was selected for the South African U19 team as a non-travelling reserve for the WINA Indoor Netball Tri-Nations in Australia
AT the recent KwaZulu-Natal Indoor Netball awards ceremony, Isabella Ingram was named the U17 Indoor Netball Player of the Year and U21 Most Improved Player.
Her performances for the province and her awards were part of the reason why the La Lucia teenager was selected for the South African U19 team as a non-travelling reserve for the World Indoor Netball Association (WINA) Indoor Netball Tri-Nations in Australia in August.
The Grade 11 learner at Crawford International La Lucia is now on standby to travel with the SA squad to Darra, Brisbane, with the national team taking on Australia and New Zealand.
“It has been a lifelong dream of mine to represent South Africa. When I trialed for the SA team, I wasn’t expecting to make it, but I did want to see the level I needed to be to be selected. When they called out my name for the final squad selection, I was in complete shock. I don’t think it has sunk in yet. I’m really looking forward to getting a chance to learn and train with the team. Many of the girls on the team are older than I am, so I’m using this experience as a learning curve,” she said.
Also read: uMhlanga teen plans fundraiser paddle for penguins
While the 16-year-old has played netball since U12, it wasn’t until last year that she was selected for her first KZN indoor netball team.
“Last year, I was selected for the KZN U16B indoor netball team which was one of my goals. I think my dedication and training has intensified, and that was one of the reasons I was able to perform that well. This year, I was also honoured to have been selected for the KZN U17A and KZN U21 indoor netball teams,” she said.
Isabella said her love for netball began after watching a game between Australia and New Zealand.
“I had been playing netball before that, but I remember that game distinctly. I loved watching Australia’s Caitlin Bassett who is one of my inspirations. She was just phenomenal in that gam, and I remember saying to my parents I want to be just like her,” she said.
She added that the support of her family has inspired her to dream big.
Also read: La Lucia resident lifts SA Powerlifting crown
“They’ve supported me the whole way, and they’ve taken me to every practice and training session. I would be nowhere without them. They are literally my number one supporters,” she said.
For more from Northglen News, follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.
