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‘‘I feel like I’m feeling more comfortable in myself’’

Maia Wilson opens up on body image issues

Brendon Egan reports.

Happy and comfortable in her own skin, Maia Wilson’s glow and silky shot are flowing on the netball court.

Head coach Noeline Taurua called on Silver Ferns’ World Cup aspirants to bring their A-game this season and Wilson has answered the call.

She has been in superb touch for the south Auckland-based Stars, who travel to Porirua to take on the defending champion Pulse in today’s elimination final. The winner moves on to face the Mystics in the grand final next Sunday in Hamilton.

Wilson has been a tower of strength in the Stars shooting end, converting 595 goals from 633 attempts at 94% – the most accurate shooter in the ANZ Premiership.

It’s a world away from where she was two years ago. For the first time in her bright career, Wilson battled for form and accuracy – even being substituted towards the end of the Stars 2021 campaign.

Wilson’s shooting slump coincided with challenges off the court. She bravely opened up on Instagram about her mental and physical struggles with her body, revealing she had been obsessed with her weight since she was 15 — with the scales becoming her ‘‘enemy’’.

‘‘If I reflect and look back it’s probably been in terms of statswise my most consistent season of my career so far, so very proud of that,’’ Wilson said.

‘‘I think there’s a number of reasons why that has happened. A lot of it is actually life outside netball. I’m feeling really good in who I am and where I’m going, and it’s translating onto the court.’’

Splitting half the year between Auckland and Wellington for the past seven years, Wilson is back in one location. She is living fulltime in her hometown of Auckland again, which has made a major difference. She was in a strong place physically and mentally, and said she had learned to no longer ‘sweat the small stuff’.

‘‘Don’t get me wrong I still have the body image issues pop up every now and again, but I’m starting to feel like where I’m at right now is where I’m supposed to be, and as long as I’m confident and proud of the person I am, and the value that I add into the environment, I’m in, I feel like I’m feeling more comfortable in myself.’’

Wilson was blown away by the impact of her raw post, which she said was more about getting her thoughts out on paper. She did not expect there to be so much interest.

The experience made her realise she had a privileged position as an elite netballer. If she could use that space to bring awareness to body image issues and talk about her own experiences, it could make a difference.

She was astonished by how many people reached out to her both online and in person. It was initially difficult because she was still dealing with her own problems and was reluctant to be a ‘‘spokesperson’’.

‘‘The response I’ve had from different people, young and old [has been amazing]. I’ve had some kids as young as five or six at the local netball courts, parents, coaches, adult women, and not just women actually, men as well – so many people from so many walks of life. I think that’s when I probably realised the impact my words can have on influencing people.’’

Wilson will be a lock in the Silver Ferns 15-player World Cup squad when they are unveiled at Netball New Zealand headquarters on June 7.

What isn’t so clear is how the Ferns plan to use her in Cape Town.

Grace Nweke looks to have overtaken Wilson as Taurua’s No 1 option at goal shoot, having preferred her there during Octo

ber’s Constellation Cup and January’s Quad Series.

Wilson will still have an important job, getting plenty of court time in the first stage of the tournament, where the Ferns will breeze through group play. Nweke and Wilson are very different goal shoots and bring contrasting styles to the mix.

Even if Nweke starts the crunch games, Wilson could be pivotal in a super-sub role off the bench. Wilson had the ability to play goal attack, if Taurua wanted to use both players in the shooting end at the same time during a match – which she has sometimes done.

Whatever Taurua and the team had planned for Wilson, she was receptive to doing it, if selected. It would be the first World Cup for Wilson after she was a non-travelling reserve four years ago when the Ferns captured the title.

‘‘At the end of the day it’s 12 to 15 people that will make the difference of winning a World Cup. No matter if I’m on court or off the court, my job is of service, so I’ll service wherever that needs to be.’’

The Ferns were fortunate to have two outstanding goal shoots in Nweke and Wilson.

GS had sometimes been a conundrum for New Zealand netball in the years after Irene van Dyk’s retirement. Most domestic teams had import goal shoots in the former trans-Tasman league too, which didn’t do much for pathways.

Wilson had a great relationship with Nweke and said they both believed the other person helped make them a better netballer. They brought out the best in each other and wanted the Ferns to succeed, no matter who was playing goal shoot.

‘‘It’s not for me necessarily competition, we’re just two very different people and we bring two very different things. I know in terms of my differences, my ability to be mobile in the circle and work the circle and work my body [is a real strength].

‘‘She’s an absolutely phenomenal athlete and there’s only one person that can do what she does, but in terms of my own game I have confidence I’m an international shooter.

‘‘I have the experience in the past to show I can get out there and put my hand up and play really well.’’ Something Wilson wants the world to hopefully see in South Africa.

SPORT

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2023-05-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-05-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/282394108824022

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