I moved over to Australia when I was 6 years old and because of that, my parents were very eager for me to join a local team and learn to play AFL, as is customary for young kids in WA. Whilst I enjoyed the sport, I never felt like I truly fit in with the rest of my teammates and, particularly on those rainy Sundays, I really didn’t want to be there.
I never appreciated how lucky I was growing up; I was part of so many communities that made me feel welcomed for being me. It wasn’t until I moved away from these connections I realised the power of community and social inclusion.
As a child, there were only two ways you could get me remotely interested in cricket. The first is beach cricket because I knew I could spend most of my time “fielding” in the water. The second was a Kanga Cricket Carnival at school, on the proviso that at the end of spending all day in the sun I knew I would be getting a Milo sachet that I could eat (yes, without milk) before I got home. This was because I knew full well my mum would not have allowed me to do that at home!
When I first came to Australia, at the age of 21, I didn’t know anyone in Perth. I quickly realised, leaving my entire network in South Africa, that I had no sense of belonging or connection to any people, culture or club. Having played football (aka soccer, that round ball sport, the world game) extensively throughout my life, I decided to join a local club.
At the age of 6, my mum took me to my first gymnastics class. My best friend’s mum was a coach at our local club, and she had convinced my mum to let me have a go. I loved it!