Natalie Thomas | Sport

I have been playing volleyball for about five years now. I first started in middle school, in a training program designed to get us ready for the competition at my future high school. The program was largely unsuccessful as most of the players left for other sports, or transferred to our rival schools. But one of my best friends, and I, stuck with it. We would stay long after practice, with our coach often having to turn off the lights and set up the gyms alarms just to shoo us off. About five years later we still stay behind and annoy the same coach each training.

Outside of volleyball I also play football and dance. I love anything outdoors; white water kayaking, mountain biking, rock climbing and caving are some of my favorite activities I don’t get to do as often as I’d like. One of my favorite places is the beach and I have been holding my breath since the end of last summer. My biggest inspiration is my older sister, who currently attends the New Zealand Broadcasting School in Christchurch. She is the kindest, most talented, and loving person I know and I’m very lucky to have grown up in aspiration of her.