The name Helen Housby has long been synonymous with world-class netball, but last weekend’s Netball World Cup final in South Africa really took things to the next level.

Despite England’s Vitality Roses missing out on a gold medal against 12-time winners Australia, Housby’s skill shone through right until the last moment, with the attacker ending the tournament with 122 goals from 129 attempts – a success rate of 94.6%.

Not only that, but she also took home the title of Player of the Tournament and Attack Player of the Tournament.

To say we’re big fans of Housby would be an understatement, so when we got the chance to sit down with the player before she headed out to South Africa last month, we wanted to learn more about what goes into being one of – if not the – best netball players in the world, from her pre-match routine to what it means to her to play for her country.

Below, you can check out that conversation. And if you want to hear more from Housby, make sure to sign up to the Strong Women email (you’ll find a sign-up box at the bottom of this article) to check out how she winds down after a busy match, as well as more behind-the-scenes chats with other incredible women sport stars.  

Hi, Helen! Let’s start at the beginning – can you tell us how you first got into netball?

I first got into netball at primary school. I was only four or five, and I played throughout my time there. Obviously, we were just little kids, but I just remember having so much fun and being so excited for my mum to come and watch me from the sidelines. 

We had this team mascot which was a massive dog, and it was just really fun and very wholesome. It wasn’t necessarily competitive – more about learning the sport and enjoying it. 

We used to switch positions a lot but I always tried to play shooter as much as possible. I’ve always been a natural attacker and loved the thrill of it. 

Flash forward to the present, how do you go about preparing for a match?

I always start my prep the night before. I like to have a big meal – usually something carb-heavy like pasta which gives me lots of energy for the game ahead (carbonara is my favourite). 

Then on game day it usually depends on the time of the match, but I always like to have a big breakfast no matter what and get a coffee in. If I’ve got time I always have a mid-morning nap – I like to maximise my sleep as much as possible, because I find it’s really key for my recovery and preparing for a big game. 

Then, as I get closer to the game, I make sure my hydration is on point by drinking little and often. About three hours before the game, I have my last big meal, which again tends to be pretty carb-heavy for energy. 

I also like to have a banana about an hour before the game – I’ve got quite superstitious about that and if I don’t have one you’ll find me running around asking everyone if they’ve got one. Then right before the match I’ll sometimes have a caffeine tablet, energy gels or a sports drink.

Aside from nutrition, I like to stay quite chill in the lead-up to the game, and then just before I put on some hype music and get livelier with the girls and playing some games in the changing room.

What’s in your kit bag when you’re heading out for a big match?

My kit bag always contains Vaseline for my lips, because when I’ve got a dry mouth or lips that’s the first thing I focus on. I’ll also have some hair ties and bobby pins just in case, as well as HydroLite to go in my water to help with hydration. I also have my pre-match banana and a sweat towel to keep my hands dry throughout the match, as well as my Beats headphones to help me get in the zone right before the match starts.

Off the court, what does your exercise routine look like?

When I’m not on the court, I stay in good form by doing a variety of things. We have huge pre-seasons, and as an international player, I often find myself between different training camps in different environments. Having a reliable nutrition strategy is really important when you’re doing that, and I try to keep everything pretty stable whether I’m in pre-season, post-season or off-season. 

I generally eat a healthy diet – lots of fruit and vegetables and lots of protein, especially when I’m doing any weight stuff. I find it easier to maintain fitness rather than lose it and regain it, so I do a couple of sessions a week at all times. When I’m not on the court doing netball-specific stuff that’s pretty much either running or conditioning/strength sessions. 

I definitely prefer the strength sessions – the running sessions can be quite brutal depending on what you’re working on. Sometimes it’s long distance, sometimes it’s short, and there’s often quite a lot of change of direction. I find getting into the gym and lifting a good way to reset mentally and it gives me different things to focus on. 

Finally, what’s your favourite thing about playing for England?

My favourite thing about being a member of this team is how much love we have for each other. We have so much fun and we really do enjoy every single day that we train together – we play a lot of games and we just love the environment that we’re in. It’s just such a privilege to go to work. We do put in a massive amount of hard work but creating memories as a squad is really special, and some of my most fond memories from being on the team are the times we’ve spent together off the court. 

And then of course getting to represent your country is really rewarding – especially when you see your family in the crowd. I particularly love when I spot my mum because she’s put in so much work to get me where I am – I’m from quite a rural place in Cumbria and she spent so much time driving me up and down the motorway for training when I was younger. 

She also plays netball and watches both the Australian and New Zealand leagues so she watches the games whether I’m playing or not, but I just know how much it means to her to see me playing for England and having her come out and travel the world with me to play feels really special.

Images: Getty