Auckland’s Henderson Valley isn’t a familiar training site for netball players, but it’s where shooter Maia Wilson has been spending plenty of time, the 26-year-old throwing on the boxing gloves as part of her pre-season training.
“It’s completely, polar opposite to what we do at netball. It’s quite amazing to watch people in their prime and me just trying to drag along behind, so it’s been very challenging,” Wilson said.
Wilson’s partner, a boxing promoter, connected her with Peach Boxing. She’s been put through her paces, training alongside IBO super bantamweight world champion Mea Motu.
“I’ve been quite hesitant because I’m going to be useless and I have been quite useless, but to come in here and give it a go and be around world class athletes who are current world champions or soon to be world champions is pretty cool.”
Motu, who will defend her world title belt on December 2 in Whangārei, said Wilson has made big improvements.
“We’ve taken her to her uncomfortable place and a place that she doesn’t like feeling, but it’s made her better and stronger mentally and physically. Her growth is amazing, her attitude has changed and training alongside us has made her believe in herself. If she can keep up with us then she can destroy anything in netball.”
2023 has tested the 48-test Silver Fern, not winning a medal at the World Cup, then becoming the third choice goal shoot in the Taini Jamison Trophy and Constellation Cup series.
“It’s definitely not how I thought the international season was going to go but I guess that shows how fickle sport is, in particular high performance sport. I guess for me I want to get into a position where I was as fit as I can be possible.”
Fitness will be crucial for her game next season, hoping to play more goal attack for the Stars in the ANZ Premiership. It’s a competitive shooting end with Wilson, Amorangi Malesala and Rahni Samason, who comes from the Melbourne Vixens in Australia’s Suncorp Super Netball.
“I’d love to get more opportunity in playing more games at goal attack. It’s up to the coaches but those conversations have been had.”
The change of training environment has also helped Wilson mentally. She pulled out of the recent Fast5 series due to a busy workload, coming off last year’s Commonwealth Games and the World Cup in July.
“I’ve pretty much done every single campaign or tour in the last six to eight years, apart from one Comm Games and one World Cup. I felt like I needed some time to take a break. It was my decision and it’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while. To get a solid six weeks of training was my priority.”
And despite training with the country’s top boxers, Wilson’s made it clear she doesn’t have an interest in competitive boxing.
“That’s probably not going to be in my future anytime soon.”
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