Herald sports person of the year: Anna Rowberry

By JULIE ASH

Anna Rowberry's eyes light up when she recalls that hot and humid evening in Jamaica when she led the Silver Ferns to success in the final of the world netball championships.

After 16 long years, New Zealand had finally managed to wrestle the silverware off Australia in a match that brought the nation to a standstill.

"When I think about it I still get an enormous buzz," said Rowberry. "I just feel so proud."

The win was a testament of her inner strength, determination and her willingness to give her all to become a world champion.

After 55 games for New Zealand, the midcourter was dropped in 2000, copping plenty of criticism for the speed of her play.

The 27-year-old spent 18 months in the wilderness and considered calling it a day, but instead worked hard at improving her game and earned a recall in June last year.

Thirteen months later, Rowberry's determination, leadership and dynamic skills on court played a pivotal role in the Ferns' success.

"It has sort of been a huge last two years for me because if I look back to the beginning of last year I wasn't even in the Silver Ferns," she said.

"It has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride but I guess it shows what a bit of determination and will can do."

As one of the "veterans" in the side, the gold medal was a long time coming for Rowberry, who made her debut in 1994 when she was just 18.

She was with the Silver Ferns when they finished third at the 1995 world championships and was part of the team who lost to Australia by one goal in 1999.

She was also there when New Zealand lost to Australia in double overtime at last year's Commonwealth Games final.

But on July 15 it was Rowberry and the Silver Ferns who stood on the dais with the world trophy, after beating Australia 49-47.

In a frantic final quarter, which took a turn for the worse when Ferns "pocket rocket" Temepara Clark was sinbinned, it seemed they would choke once again.

But through sheer guts and determination the New Zealanders proved their critics wrong.

"The game was always really calm; everyone was really composed," Rowberry recalled.

"There was an air of confidence within the team. Even when Temepara went off it was like, 'Okay, we are one short. We just all have to pull our weight a little bit more'.

"I think we felt like that because we had done so much preparation. We did a lot of these what we called 'what if' scenarios - what if this happens on the court, how we would cope?

"So it was like we had played it before."

While Rowberry can recall the final minutes of play blow by blow, the seconds after the final whistle sounded are a blur.

"Everyone keeps telling me how I threw the ball up in the air, because I actually had it when the whistle went.

"I can't remember that but when I got home everyone was saying 'I'll never forget that moment'.

"You just get this whole tingly sensation. I just remember Bill [Belinda Colling] and I running over to each other and screaming.

"Someone interviewed me straight afterwards and said, 'Look at those Australians. Do you feel sorry for them?'

"I just said 'No, I felt like that for how many years of my life? It is a stink feeling when you lose but I am not going to sit here and feel sorry for them'."

For Rowberry, playing the final meant ignoring the strain in her calf that had plagued her throughout the tournament.

"I was really disappointed having an injury at the world champs.

"It was quite frustrating and personally I don't think I was at my best. But we had other great midcourters, like Adine Harper, who could have slotted in."

What also made the victory special for Rowberry was that she could share it with her mother Brenda - a Silver Fern in the 1970s - her father Jerry and older sister Rachael, who were in Jamaica.

"They stayed in a motel just around the corner from us and their motel didn't have a pool so they used to come and use ours.

"My sister wrote me a little card and gave it to our manager, who put in under my pillow the night before the final.

"It was just a wee message from Mum, Dad and Rach to say, 'We are all thinking of you and you have got to do it this time!'

"As a family they go through as much heartache with you when you lose. So it was nice to be able to share the win with them."

Rowberry believes this New Zealand team succeeded where so many others had failed because of their preparation.

"Some people had taken time off work and reduced their workloads six months prior.

"We were prepared so well physically, mentally and emotionally. You have to give a lot of credit to [coach] Ruth Aitken and [her assistant] Leigh Gibbs for that.

"But if you want something that you have never had you have got to be prepared to do something that you have never done. That was the philosophy we took into the world champs."

For Rowberry that meant giving up her job as a physical education teacher and taking a part-time position as a netball co-ordinator at St Cuthberts school in Auckland.

Born in Christchurch, Rowberry is the second of four girls. Rachael was a talented middle-distance runner, and younger sisters Clare and Lee are into surf lifesaving.

Rowberry was also a talented runner and had to choose in her mid teens whether to pursue netball or athletics.

"I chose netball because I used to get that nervous before the start of races I almost used to make myself sick," she said.

Rowberry will reunite with her family next week for their annual camping trip to Abel Tasman National Park.

"We do it every year. Then I am walking the Milford Track with a few mates."

She is looking forward to a month's break. Since returning from Jamaica, the Silver Ferns captain has been in hot demand.

"It wasn't really until we got home that we realised the extent of how much support we had.

"I went to this function the other night and this man came up to me and said, 'I am sure you have heard it all before, but I just want to thank you so much for making my family and I so proud that day'.

"I think it is great that we are getting recognised as athletes that have excelled as we are amateurs. We do all this while holding down jobs. We made all these sacrifices because we wanted to be world champions."

She hoped Netball New Zealand would benefit and "that sponsors will be wanting to come on board and be a part of this dynasty we have created".

As for the next world championships in 2007 and whether Rowberry will be there, "Oh god, who knows," she laughs.

"I always thought there would be no way I'd be around but the more I think about it ... who knows."