It is tempting to call Tshina Mdau "Captain Fantastic" after Tuks's near-perfect performance on Monday against Kovsies in the Varsity Tournament.
She was after all the player of the match, however, for Mdau it will never be about a single player's heroics. The only thing that matters to her is the team. Against Kovsies, she did what was needed to be done. Tuks won. That made her happy. It has been that way ever since she started playing netball in primary school.
There can be, however, no arguing that Mdau is blessed as having that X-factor. As a wing attack, she can change the direction of any game in the blink of an eye. It is one of the reasons why she has been selected to be part of the Protea-squad that prepared for the World Cup Tournament.
The fact that that she did not get selected in the end did hurt, but the Tuks captain is also realistic.
"I am still young. I still need to gain more experience. There is no better way of doing so being on the sidelines, watching the best play. I realised quite early on in my playing career that talent is only going to take me so far. The rest is about hard work and dedication," she explained during an earlier interview.
She still considers 2016 when she got to play for the Proteas in the Fast Five World Cup Tournament as a reality check.
"It felt to me like it was 'lights, cameras, action'. I was overwhelmed, but my coach at the time reminded me that it is the basics that count. When an opportunity arises, it is essential not to let fear prevent you from showcasing your talents."
Funnily enough, Mdau did come to Tuks to play netball. She had aspirations of winning medals on the athletics track, but when she could not find a coach, she started playing social netball. Someone saw her play and realised that she is wasting her time. It was suggested that she should join TuksNetball. The rest is as they say history.
Mdau describes getting to play for Tuks as a life-changing experience. It is where she got to learn what being professional is all about. She also learned to make the most of every minute of every day, balancing her time between studying and playing.
As passionate as the Tuks captain is about playing netball and being the best she can be, she also realises that any playing career can only last so long and that daily bills don't get to pay itself.
For this reason, she considers graduating with a degree in agriculture economics as a personal highlight. She is currently doing her honours. According to her, she can't wait to put into practice what she has learned.
"I see my studies as a way of being able to give something back to South Africa. If you look back, all of us started off as farmers. Through my studies, I got an opportunity to try and feed the world, making it a better place."
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