Michaela Sokolich-Beatson is on a mission to get back into the Silver Ferns after an achilles injury ruined a year in which she was meant to be a breakout star in the black dress.
At Mystics practice, you may not be able to see the 23-year-old out on court, but you can most certainly hear her.
“It's not how I wanted the year to go for me or how I wanted to be hanging out at training,” Sokolich-Beatson said.
Instead of running around with her Mystic teammates this season, she's taking on a new role.
“I think peer feedback is really valuable so she's practicing her communication with the team and how you deliver the one rock that will make the biggest ripple,” Northern Mystics coach Helene Wilson told 1 NEWS.
After just missing out on the Netball World Cup, last months' Nations Cup was meant to be Sokolich-Beatson’s time to shine in the black dress, but that all changed just days out from centre pass.
“I didn't fall but I kind of tripped and I turned to see if someone had kicked me, hoping and praying some one had kicked me straight away, and I was like I’ve done my achilles,” Sokolich-Beatson said.
For a second time in six months she was on a plane home from England without her Silver Ferns teammates.
Now on a long road to recovery that she's hoping not to do alone.
The 23-year-old has set up an Instagram page to not only inspire herself but also others.
“If someone else gets this injury they can be like okay in two weeks’ time I can do this, so you can have some tangible goals cos when I did it I had no idea, when can I walk when can I lift upper body weights,” she said.
There's one important goal she's gunning to tick off.
“I will be back in the black dress, I don't have doubts about that, so that will be my time, I’m not going to come home from England for a third time without playing.”
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