A good "push, hit and never quit" hockey game on any Astroturf is guaranteed to get Tegan Fourie's blood rushing.
When the TuksHockey captain dribbles the ball past opponents, most will not realise what a remarkable story she has to tell. It is one in which the words never quit is spelt in capital letters.
At the age of five, Fourie was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. It could have meant an immediate end to days of playing hockey. But even at such a young age, she somehow knew she got to continue what she loved doing and that was playing hockey.
Her tenacity certainly paid dividends. Today, she holds a profile of 13 senior field hockey caps, 34 senior indoor hockey caps and 10 junior caps from major tournaments such as the 2016 Junior African Cup, 2016 Women's Hockey Junior World Cup, 2022 Women's FIH Hockey Junior World Cup and 2022 Africa Cup of Nations. Next week, Fourie will be captaining Tuks at the 2022 USSA Hockey Women’s Championships at the University of Cape Town in Cape Town.
To her, life is living every day to its fullest. But she admits that it is not always easy.
"Some days can be challenging. Living with diabetes can be unpredictable...maybe unpredictable is the wrong word. It is just at times, what happens in one's body is hard to explain, which frustrates me. But there was never a time I wondered why,'.
"Sometimes, there is a bit of a stigma around diabetes. It is as if people believe I can't do what other players can. To me, it is extra motivation to give 100% during training sessions and each game."
According to the Tuks captain, getting an insulin pump with a medical tube inserted into her body changed her life. It has a sensor that provides continuous glucose monitoring.
"Now, I don't have to do any guessing. That is important. Every match day requires meticulous planning. I got to ensure that I eat precisely at the right time because I don't want insulin in my body when I play. I don't play with the pump as it burdens me. At halftime, I would check to see if my sugar levels are at a good level. I will connect the pump to top it up if it is not. Then I carry on playing.
"Controlling my nerves is also important. It is easy to get too excited or nervous during a high-intensity game. The risk for me is that an adrenaline rush can impact my sugar levels."
Fourie is looking forward to captaining Tuks during the USSA Hockey Champs. She plays as a midfielder and firmly believes in leading by example.
"We got so much potential as a team. So it will be exciting to see what we can achieve at the tournament."
Tuks is in Pool A with Wits, UFS Kovsies and Varsity College. The upcoming USSA Hockey Champs will be held from 4 to 8 July in Cape Town.
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