“I took up basketball when I was 16 with my mum. We had tried all kinds of activities, even line dancing and belly dancing, then we gave basketball a go in a local league. I really enjoyed it, more than any other sport I’d played. After six months, a local coach convinced me to take it seriously.

Basketball is really unpredictable, with no two games ever being the same, so there’s always a different challenge. Whether those challenges are physical or mental, it doesn’t matter. For someone like me who loves pushing themselves, there’s no other sport more engaging and enjoyable.

The one thing I struggled with was my fitness, which remains a constant test. To be in world-class condition requires total commitment to things like workouts and nutrition.

There are lots of different skills involved in basketball: so many that I’m not sure anybody knows them all! But that’s part of the fun, as I am still learning and practising new skills every day, which keeps my love for the game burning.

Being part of a team is great too. I love the friendships you form by being part of a successful group. As a team, we really support and motivate each other to be the best we can be. Basketball is a great way of meeting new people, making new friends and developing the social skills that will last you a lifetime.

Above all else, it’s so much fun and really suits my personality. You couldn’t convince me to trade in basketball for any other sport!”