Eboni Usoro-Brown: Serena Williams always my role model

 

Nigeria-British netball player Eboni Usoro-Brown has described American tennis idol Serena Williams as her role model.

The 33 year old lawyer who played her full Super league match on Monday since becoming a a mother maintains that athletes need role models whose exploits serve as a ginger especially at low moments when it becomes a bit difficult to forge ahead.

“My role model has always been Serena Williams. The way in which she had a child, had a number of complications, but then came back and was in the final at Wimbledon a year after, to me spoke volumes,” she told skysports

The England international was an instrumental part in Team Bath Netball’s 44-39 victory over Wasps Netball in round three; the contest was her first full Superleague match since becoming a mother last August

When Team Bath Netball’s line-up was released,  one area of the court commanded attention Bath’s defensive circle.

In it, Usoro-Brown’s name next to the GK position and that meant the incredibly experienced defender was set for her first Vitality Netball Superleague start.

What fans did not realise, was that Usoro-Brown would remain on court for the full 48 minutes, as opposed to just playing a quarter or half. As was the case on the opening weekend, she excelled and the turnover ball that Usoro-Brown and Tash Pavelin gained was an instrumental part of Bath’s victory.

On August 21, 2020, Usoro-Brown became a mother for the first time when she and her husband welcomed daughter Savannah into the world.

Throughout her pregnancy, the 33-year-old lawyer remained active and used her social media platforms to share her training, and the fact she was still listening to her body. If there is one message she will like to pass to her fellow athletes it is that they should not see child bearing as the end of their dreams to excel in their chosen sports.

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It’s such an important message that just because you have had a child doesn’t mean you can’t go back to elite sport. You have to respect the journey it is going to take to get back to that level. Your body has gone through a major event and it is going to take time to heal. But, as long as you have a positive mindset and attitude, the right help and support around you and you listen to your body, there’s no reason why you can’t step back onto that court or return to any sport you loved”