Sport-mad Lee-Anne home from Ireland

MUSGRAVE resident, Lee-Anne Keet, has just returned from representing South Africa at the water polo championships in Ireland.

Lee-Anne, who comes from a family of waterpolo players, said one of the most memorable moments in her career was the 2013 Barcelona World Water Polo Championships.

“My sisters and I were all selected for the team to compete at the world champs. Before an international water polo match, there is a tradition that your name and cap number gets called out and the crowd does a double clap for you before you sing the national anthem. This year I was cap number 8, Samantha was cap number 9 and Marcelle was cap number 10. It was only the third time in Water Polo World Championship history that three siblings were in the same team,” she said.

Lee-Anne's father played and coached water polo and her mother managed water polo teams.

“My parents are both teachers and are both very successful coaches. They were also provincial athletes when they were younger, but I don’t think it was all genetics that got us to where we are today. They are extremely passionate about sport and taught us about commitment and dedication by being such inspirational role models. We were dragged to early morning sessions and extra training that they selflessly did for other teams and athletes they were training; it was through them we learnt to love sport,” she said.

Lee-Anne, who plays Holeman in the sport, said she has been fortunate enough to travel the world and compete against the worlds’ best at all the world champs.

“My most memorable moment was the Kramer Water Polo Champs 2003 final in East London. I was playing for Border and we were in the final against KZN. I will never forget the last seconds of that game. The little province Border beat KZN and I had the ball in the last seconds and I swam the clock down to a Kramer victory! My dad coached us, my sister was in the pool with me, and the whole bank was full of Border supporters. I remember every person in the pool with me; it was a very special day,” she said.

Lee-Anne has also been a hockey player and said hockey gave her more than she deserved.

“I was so privileged to have played this game. It taught me a great deal, not just about hockey, but it strengthened my character. I made friends that will last forever, toured places I would never have seen and kept me healthy to this ripe old age! I played midfield my whole career at school for club at Old Selbornians and at Rovers,” she said.

The avid sportswoman said she is also planning on tackling the 2016 Ironman and loves surfing in her spare time.

She said sport has taught her to be humble in success and to be strong in defeat.

“It has taught me that the only victories are the ones worth sharing. Being a sportsman has shown me that I am the only one who sets my limits and if I work hard enough, there are no limits,” she said.

She has a lot of things on her bucket list, including the 2016 Ironman, the Comrades Marathon, the Argus, the 8 Mile Midmar, the Robben Island Swim, to watch the Olympics, to climb a really big mountain, to race Husain Bolt, to do a scuba and skipper course and the list goes on!

Lee-Anne is a physical education teacher at Maris Stella, and lives with her boyfriend, Donn Stewart, also a national water polo player, and their dog Major.