South African Cricketer | Motivator of Women|
Determined
Athlete
A wicketkeeper-batter, Trisha Chetty has been a core member of the South African Women's side since 2007. She has played 105 ODIs scoring 2491 runs. Keeping wicket, she has taken 108 catches and performed 45 stumpings. Trisha holds the record for the highest dismissals by a wicketkeeper in Women’s ODIs. Along with Shandre Fritz, Trisha set the record for the highest-ever opening partnership of 170 runs in the history of Women’s T20 International cricket.
Growing up in KwaZulu Natal, Trisha first started playing cricket at the age of 7 with her uncles in the backyard. She laughs and says, “I think in the backyard is where most cricketers begin their careers. I never imagined I would ever play for the SA women’s team. Back then cricket was about fun with family and friends – but that was definitely when I first fell in love with the game!”
Aggressive with the bat and pretty athletic on the field, her batting saw big strides of growth. She spent her early years predominantly at batting at numbers seven and eight, but later was promoted up the order, even ending up opening at times. Over the years she have captained her provincial squad (KZN and Gauteng) and in the early years of her career Trisha was vice captain of South Africa. One of her biggest achievements was receiving Cricket South Africa Women's cricketer of year in 2009.
TRISHA speaks to Strongest Story on patience, perseverance and turning setbacks into setups…
“There are so many challenges to being a professional female athlete. Nothing comes easy. Trying to build a career in a male-dominated sport has been tough. When I started playing for South Africa, the women's team was not nearly as well recognized as the men’s. Back then we weren’t even contracted. Facing these gender gaps and inequalities has been a huge challenge, but at the same time, being part of the growth in women's cricket has been a real privilege. It’s grown me as a woman in society and shown me how patience, determination and perseverance always pays off. I’m pleased to say the gap is slowly beginning to close.
But perhaps bigger than this; has been some of my own personal challenges I’ve had to overcome, one being the struggle I’ve had with some major injuries (one even requiring surgery). Most recently this was a lower back injury that was not only physically debilitating, but set me back mentally too. As a cricketer you are active 90% of your day - either training for tours or just trying to keep fit, so sitting around waiting for your body to heal can be hugely frustrating.
Disappointment also comes with it and after months of rehab I eventually made my way back into the National team. I was selected for the tour to the West Indies, but unfortunately, my back didn’t handle the exertion and I sent home. I was gutted. At that stage I questioned my career a lot, should I retire or work harder to get fit and back into the team? Inside I knew I still had a lot to offer but sitting at home watching the girls play tournament after tournaments on TV would break me!
Eventually I made the decision that I wasn’t going to be defeated. Determined to pick myself up again, and with the help of my family, friends, physios and fitness trainer, I was able to slowly rebuild my confidence. I just had take it one step at a time, be patient and trust the process.
So, what has all this taught me? I think I’ve learnt that there are no short cuts. Nothing of any significance comes easily. When we have the determination to work hard, the courage to face our challenges head on and the self-belief to know we can do it, we discover qualities in ourselves that we would otherwise not have known! I believe things happen for a reason so we need to make the most of setbacks in our lives. In the end, setbacks are all they are and if we choose to overcome them, we can even turn them into set ups. In the end, what lies ahead of us and what lies behind us is nothing compared to what lies within us!”
A personal message from Strongest Story:
Being married to a South African Protea player and coach, I have seen first hand how things roll out for a professional men’s sporting team. Budgets are in place for pretty much everything a team might need and with a large support staff, touring runs smoothly and is more than comfortable. Players are paid well, they’re kitted out with the best of brands and equipment, sponsorships are plentiful and tournament opportunities are endless. With such huge exposure, individual players are equally fortunate to be showered with personal sponsorships, branded clothing and an array of ‘off-the-field’ opportunities that often make a hard journey to success just that much easier.
Knowing all this, I was fascinated to get a glimpse into Trisha’s life and the set up of the National women’s team. In a male dominated space, it’s obvious that nothing come easy. Trisha’s story is one of tenacity and sheer grit and I was so impressed to see how, despite both the personal and professional challenges she’s faced, she’s found a way to look at her obstacles from a different perspective and has never been defeated by them. Have they knocked her down? Yes. Did she find a way to get up again? Yes!
Trisha, Strongest Story commends you for your determination to never give up. You’ve found a way to turn every setback into an opportunity for growth and this makes your story a strong one. We’re so excited to watch you grow from strength to strength and you can be sure we’ll be cheering you on!