Marc catches up with ANZ Ambassador and Silver Ferns captain Katrina Grant on life after the Commonwealth games, The Wellington Pulse and her recent engagement.
As Kiwi netball fans were left devastated by the worst Silver Ferns Commonwealth Games result in history, captain Katrina Grant faced her darkest hour. Reduced to tears in a post-game interview, it was clear the veteran was deeply hurt by the demise of her once gold medal-winning side.
But almost three months on and well into the ANZ Premiership season where her Central Pulse team lead, Grant said she was ready for a fresh start.
"We just wanted to go in there and try as hard as we could and it wasn't enough and it was heartbreaking and a hard time," Grant said.
Katrina Grant described the Commonwealth Games as a "heartbreaking time". Photo / Getty
"I don't want Comm Games to be the last time I ever put [the Silver Ferns dress] on, heck no, that would be horrible and devastating and I would look back in 10 years and be like 'was that how I left it'?"
"That's definitely not what I want, I want a fresh start. Putting the dress back on would be amazing, I want another opportunity, 100 per cent."
After enduring what she described as the "lowest of lows", Grant made an inspiring comeback in time for the 2018 ANZ Premiership.
Leading her home franchise to a historic unbeaten streak during the first five rounds of the league, the Pulse captain was applauded for her resilience and mental strength.
Playing her best netball, Grant believed support from her loved ones kept her strong and said success with the Pulse had been exciting.
"I'm loving it and really enjoying my netball at the moment," she said.
The Central Pulse currently lead on the ANZ Premiership ladder. Photo / Getty
"I just love doing what I do here and being loyal is quite important to me and being able to stick around as long as I've had, finally some success is coming and it's awesome.
"When you have family support and just people you know helps you succeed better as well. Obviously times aren't always great and if you don't have that support and that balance, it's tough to keep going."
One supporter, in particular, Grant credited for her recently refreshed mentality was fiance Joel Rore.
The pair announced their engagement in April while on holiday in Fiji where Grant left her phone on flight mode for three days to avoid the news and social media in the wake of New Zealand's failure.
Grant believed the time she spent away after the Commonwealth Games made her realise there was more to life than sport and said celebrating her engagement with Rore put things back into perspective.
"There's more to life than just sport and netball, but at the time, it's really hard to tell ... especially at a pinnacle event like Comm Games, you're just in it and it is your life.
"It was really, really tough, and being able to go away with Joel to Fiji after that, just chilling out ... made me realise that netball is only for a short amount of time.
"There is more to life and while you're in netball, you may as well enjoy it and make the most of it while you've got it and then understand that life goes on."
Adding to her fresh start, Grant revealed that she would be sporting a new name on the back of her black dress sooner than expected.
Confirming her wedding date for this November, Grant said she wanted to be married to Rore as early as possible so that she could represent New Zealand with his name on her uniform.
"We wanted to get married this year because I wanted to put his name on my dress if I go to World Cup, so we're getting married November 24," she said.
"We wanted a nice small wedding, so when we got engaged, we were like 'let's get married as soon as possible'."
Grant will take to the court again tomorrow night when the Pulse play the Southern Steel in their third and final match-up against the defending champions. With eight wins from nine games, the Pulse are almost certain to make the top three playoffs in August, when they will look to avenge last season's runner-up disappointment.
Silver Ferns goal shoot Grace Nweke speaks about the Constellation Cup series and the rivalry against the Diamonds in the final match. Video / Alyse Wright
