Two weeks, 193 athletes,
20 sports, 6 medals and countless memories, the South African Olympic team sure
made our country extremely proud, one member of the team was Montclair’s Lenise
Marais who participated in the women’s hockey, returning with their best
result in an Olympics, finishing tenth overall.
“It was a truly memorable occasion, being there with my team
through it all. I shall cherish the memories.” a smiling Marais shared.
“The Opening Ceremony was magical. Seeing the torch being
lit was a tingling experience.”
Having competed at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, Marais
commented, “London did well! There were obviously some differences but overall
we were all very impressed! Beijing will always be very special to me; it was
my first Olympics so experiencing all my Olympic firsts. But having the honour
of competing at both was fantastic!”
Marais, who plays in the defence, wearing jersey number 21,
said “All the games at the Olympics are tough. We opened up our Olympic
campaign against Argentina who won the silver medal, and it didn’t get any
easier after that.”
“Our final pool game against USA, we managed a convincing
win which gave us a bounce in our step. One of my best moments during the
Olympics would have to be saving a ball flying into the goal off the line, got
the heart pumping and boosted my confidence.”
“It was a sweet feeling not having to play the eleventh and
twelfth classification match and our performance means that we have now jumped
up to number ten in the world rankings, now that is an achievement! Obviously
we have seen which areas we need to work more on and will do that. But as
mentioned, a move up the table is very rewarding, now for a few more places.”
she smiles mischievously.
The hockey world had the opportunity to play on the brightly
coloured pink and blue pitch, which we as viewers sitting at home battled to
keep track of the ball, Marias laughed, “We played and trained on the pink and
blue turf before the tournament so we were ok with it. Friends did message me
complaining that they struggled to keep an eye on the ball watching TV, and
when I watched the game on TV could see what they meant.”
Chatting about her time off between games, “Off the pitch,
in and around the Olympic Village, I had the opportunity to meet Roger Federer;
he was very nice and let us take a team photo with him. I also spotted Serena
Williams, the Italian tennis player Francesca Schiavone, Jamaican sprinter
Usain Bolt, a few American swimmers and Steve Waugh and John Eales who were
travelling with the Australian team. Certainly sporting icons were everywhere!”
“We were lucky enough to be able to rest for a bit after all
of our pool games giving us the opportunity to see some sights, shopped a
little, the exchange rate guarantees that and even went to the theatre.”
Having been away from home since May, she is slowly getting
used to normal life, with the hockey season in full swing she intends to get
back into the swing of things shortly. “Hopefully we can win the upcoming
Champions Challenge and move into the Champions Trophy event with the intention
of staying there. I would have to say that would have to be my next goal.”
Asked how she would encourage young up and coming players,
she assures, “Preparation is vital. Surround yourself with people who can help
you with this, and push you. If you choose for it, then go full out.”
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