South Africa's fittest netball player is how Tuks's Marlize de Bruin is often described during major local tournaments. 

She never seems to tire. From the moment she steps onto the court, she is in the midst of the centre court action. If she is not chasing after the ball, she launches herself into the air to go for the big intercept. There are times when she would hit the deck. But don't blink because you might miss it. De Bruin always bounces back on her feet within two ticks’ hell-bent on winning the ball for her team. That is why she was the Mid-Court Player of the Tournament at the SPAR National Champs in December 2020.

This past week at Tuks, she is at it again, but the goal is not to help any team win. Her goal is to inspire. De Bruin is one of the players who are coaching during the University of Pretoria's Junior Elevate Netball Camp. 

"One of the most important things I want to bring across to young players is that nothing is impossible with the right mindset and passion. You can never wait for something to happen on the court; you got to make it happen. To do so means you got to be fit. 

"From personal experience, it feels like the fitter I am the better I play. You can focus on the game and not worry about how much time is left on the clock or small little things like breathing correctly."

By the time of the interview, De Bruin had already done three sessions with the young players. In ten minutes, she would be coaching again. Still, her enthusiasm is not dwindling. Not even in the midday heat. 

"I am living my dream, playing and coaching netball. There is nothing more rewarding when coaching to see 'the lights go on' in young players' eyes when they start to understand what you are trying to teach them. I guess that is why I also studied to become a teacher."

De Bruin is a firm believer in what was good enough today is not going to be tomorrow. 

"When I train, I give 100%. I expect the same of the players I coach. The goal should always be to do something better in training than you did the day before." 

When asked about being labelled as South Africa's fittest netball player, De Bruin laughs.

"I got to admit to being addicted to training. I gym nearly every day for about two hours, then I would go for a 40-minute conditioning run. Then there is also the two hours or so of netball training. Training is, for me, a way to face up to any challenge. If I feel down, I only need to train to lift my spirits."

As a Tuks player, De Bruin had been privileged to have won every major netball tournament in South Africa. She has also represented South Africa at a University level and in the Fast Five tournaments. Currently, De Bruin is part of the South African President's squad for the upcoming SPAR Challenge International Series in March. 

But as a centre, there is still one goal she wants to achieve. That is to play for the Proteas. It is the reason why she will be in the gym again tomorrow morning and go for a run later.

"There is no guarantee that I will ever play for the Proteas, but it is important to me to know that I had given it my all to do so. No regrets.”