Ameliaranne Ekenasio's road to Silver Ferns captain not easy

Ameliaranne Ekenasio.Photo / Photosport.co.nz

Ameliaranne Ekenasio arrives with her yoga mat in tow. Afterwards she is off to lead members of the Silver Ferns in a session, having logged 200 hours in her adopted home city to qualify as an instructor.

Juggling those commitments around being a mum and full-time netballer is not easy, nor is the holistic path Ekenasio tread to Silver Ferns captain.

Nothing about her rise to the top echelon could be deemed easy or conventional.

"I've been playing professional netball for nine or 10 years and potentially 90 per cent of that time I've been really uncomfortable in my own skin or not really confident in who I am or felt like it wasn't accepted," she says in London while leading the Ferns on their dominant Netball Nations Cup tour.

Ekenasio could, now, not be happier. But it's been a long road for her and her sport to get here.

Growing up in Bundaberg, the coastal Queensland town famous for rum and ginger beer, Ekenasio turned to netball in her early teens. She was always a shooter, not solely due to her height but apparent lack of early coordination.

Ekenasio progressed through the Queensland age-grade teams and represented Australia at under-18 and 21s but soon found her career stalling at the star-laden Firebirds.

"I thought about not playing netball anymore and going travelling instead."

A close friend instead suggested New Zealand could offer a welcome change. Before she knew it, Ekenasio was immediately invited to trial for the Silver Ferns by then coach Waimarama Taumaunu.

Clearly word of Ekenasio's plans and eligibility for New Zealand through her father quickly spread.

"I said yes without really realising what was going on. I flew over for trials and I don't know if I spoke a word the whole five or six days because I didn't know anyone and I was pretty quiet at that stage.

"It was really backwards. I feel like heaps of my career since that point has flipped. It's been backwards first."

Such was her obvious talent, Ekenasio made her test debut against Australia in 2014 before moving to New Zealand or playing domestically for the Central Pulse.

Behind the scenes, though, off court life held several challenges.

"My mum had been diagnosed with cancer and we were up to three or four years by that point. When I decided to move I was her primary carer so that was the biggest part of my decision but she didn't want for a second to hold me back at all.

"I moved over with no money. I wasn't working because I wanted to give netball a real crack. It was really hard because I moved to a different country, I didn't know anyone and I was not even making enough money to feed myself for the week. At the same time it was liberating because I had so much freedom and time to work on my netball."

While attempting to settle in Wellington Ekenasio travelled back to Australia whenever possible until her mum lost her battle in 2015.

"Leading up to that point and afterwards it was a really hard time.

"There's quite a lengthy period when I moved to New Zealand and even had played for the Ferns where there was not a huge amount of movement in my growth and that was just life, really.

"Sometimes you think you can put your life on hold for netball, or anything, but sometimes there's no separation and it's engulfing.

"Pretty much from when my mum passed away until I met my husband – from that point I started to grow a lot more. I'd been through a lot of life by then.

"I had a lot of lessons I needed to learn about myself."

Just as Ekenasio began to find her feet, having played her first 60 minute international, she and husband Damien, the Capital Basketball general manager, received the surprise news they were expecting.

Ekenasio knew others who returned to netball after giving birth and desperately wanted to follow their feats.

Once son, Ocean, arrived Ekenasio soon confronted the realities of juggling motherhood and netball.

"The sport has grown a lot now but even two and a bit years ago it wasn't hugely accepted if I had to bring my baby along anywhere. I wasn't allowed to travel with him. Now it's really open. We would encourage any mums to travel with their babies because it's such an important part of the process.

"We had a lot of those firsts we had to deal with.

"I'm the only mum in the team and a lot of people wait until they're finished their career and it's a long wait and you start to enter potential other complications so even though it was tough for those years, I feel lucky that I have a balance of the two."

Ekenasio returned to the Ferns in the disastrous Commonwealth Games campaign in 2018, and only since Noeline Taurua's promotion to head coach has she truly felt a sense of belonging.

Results have been compelling, with Ekenasio's composed long-range shooting influential in the Ferns rise from fourth-ranked side to unlikely champions at last year's World Cup.

Now in the absence of Laura Langman for this tournament, she was anointed captain with support from Jane Watson and Gina Crampton.

The responsibility, after 37 tests, came as quite the shock.

"I did not at all expect to be here. When Noels talked about it being a voting system and I had some time to give it some thought it felt like a real honour.

"Winning anything aside it's more important for me to have the love and respect of my team. That kind of beats anything. I thought about saying no because I didn't think I was ready, but the team had spoken and I couldn't not accept that."

Following two crushing wins over a second-string England and Jamaica this week, Taurua lauded Ekenasio's leadership style.

"It's a totally different feel to Laura – a bit like chalk and cheese," Taurua says. "She's got her own way and because of the process we used she's well supported by the team.

"She's very soft and caring for people, quite demanding in some respects when she wants to point the finger but she does it in a way that is very caring. She doesn't rant or rave but she's got the respect of everybody so I couldn't be happier with how things are going behind the scenes – it's so easy I get a bit worried."

As the Ferns embark on this new era they clearly do so with an inclusive culture. No more is that evident than in Ekenasio.

After years of struggling for acceptance the 29-year-old is now revelling within her spirituality and wellness. Her infectious, resilient qualities could make her the ideal candidate to eventually lead the Ferns through to the 2023 World Cup.

"Having been on that journey I've seen the transformation that's happened for me. If I didn't have to turn all my focus inside then I probably wouldn't be the person I am today," Ekenasio says.

"Because I've done a massive amount of healing – I've been through a lot of shit – but only by going through that have I found myself on the other side. It's a really crucial part of growth.

"As athletes we have to grow so much. It's not just about what's on court. That's starting to come to light more now. We help each other through anything that's going on.

"Under Noels I've finally found my place which is special. I now feel I can be who I am – I don't have to try and be anything else and it's celebrated. I really try and make sure that's what I push. We want the girls to turn up as who they are and know that that's enough.

"It's a really nice position to be in. It's powerful when you get people turning up as who they are."

Elite shooter. Mum. Wife. Leader.

Now for that yoga lesson.