Lokotui had to give up water polo a couple of years ago when it got too much to fit in with her netball and basketball commitments but she's still a major fan of the sport. "I do love watching it, going back and seeing school teams play, brings back good memories," Lokotui said. A competitive swimmer at a young age, once Lokotui was introduced to the sport she got hooked. "My swimming coach was a part of a water polo club in Wellington so they just brought me along to one of the trainings and I liked it. It's such a physical sport but it's super fun, there's a lot of analysis stuff as well." It's an incredibly challenging sport physically. No part of the body sits still during a game. You tread water with your legs, contort your body with your core, all while you're reaching, catching, and throwing. "I was a goalie so obviously my focus was around saving the ball, my positioning was key, where my legs had to go and that was hard in itself." It's also a sport that can be intensely aggressive where fouls are commonplace. Lokotui said it helped her to take the physicality and heavy contacts now seen in elite netball. "Most of the stuff happens under water so not many people see but I think that's just the passion people play with when they're playing the sport." The 19-year-old has no doubt the sport helped her with her netball. Click the link to read more.
