The fact that former Civics and Desert Jewels goalshooter Ratjinda 'Toetsie' Tjihero went to play netball in England did not make her forget her humble beginnings.
Despite the hype around her exploits on the international netball scene, Tjihero still believes it was pure luck that made her go play netball in the United Kingdom.
"I am just blessed," she says.
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"When I look at how episodes unfold in my life I can tell you today that I've just been lucky when I was recommended by the International Netball Federation's African representative Joan Smit to go play in England.
"I would be forever grateful to Joan, who picked me out from the rest of the country's top players. I kept asking myself why me? Imagine a humble village girl from Oshongombe [in the Aminuis constituency] playing netball in Europe."
The goalshooter enjoyed the time of her life in the English Netball Super League with Northumbria University in Newcastle.
Although her team for six years was nowhere near championship material, she won herself accolades like season's supporters' player and most valuable player.
Tjihero's netball career started at St Conrad Primary School.
"The school was situated very remotely, in the Stampriet area, and I saw netball also as a means to kill the boredom and loneliness that comes with hostel life. There was also the exciting incentive of travelling to other schools in the area to showcase our God-given talent," she says.
Tjihero says although she had the height to be an excellent goalshooter, she always struggled to make it to the junior national teams.
She says she, however, did not allow her failure to impress the junior national team coaches - she was confident that her big break would come one day.
"I have a very strong support base in my netball coach at St Conrad, so I felt it was always a fact that I would be playing for my country one day. I actually prefer the more mobile and exciting goal-attack position," Tjihero says.
"My netball coach at Stampriet had other plans for me. I am very grateful today that she discovered my new position as goalshoot.
"I was a naturally gifted shooting star, and although I was mostly confined to my area, it was just about throwing the ball through the hoop."
Tjihero later not only excelled at school level, but was also selected for the Hardap schools netball regional teams from under-11 to under-17.
From the close encounters she had at the national schools courts, Tjihero was finally selected for the national under-17 team - all thanks to the perseverance and positive advice she always got from coach Mojao Uandara, who advised her never to give up.
"With my dream of playing for the regional team achieved I was now gunning for the under-17 national team, and it did not come as a surprise at all when I was called up for the under-17 team that went to participate in the Ball Games in South Africa," she says.
"There was no turning back, and shortly afterwards it was time to pack my bag again for another trip with the under-19 team of the Namibian National Sports Commission (NNSU) for the Ball Games that were hosted by Botswana this time. I was now an integral part of the team.
"I was now starting to cement my spot in the under-17 team and soon the goalshooter's spot in the under-20 side, because my netball teacher at Mokganedi Tlhabanelo High School at Drimiopsis, Miss Bohitile, was also pushing me hard."
Bohitile made sure Tjihero got exposed, and she used to go to trials knowing she would make it.
Her positional change was masterminded by Letu Hamhola, the netball team coach at Wennie du Plessis High School at Gobabis.
"I had to reinvent my game from a more advanced player as a goal-attack, which I was very good at, to get used to less moving as a goalshooter. Letu saw the shooting ability in me and made sure I got all the support from my teammates to get my chances," Thihero says.
"I'm really happy I left a legacy in Namibian netball. I want people to remember me as a true sharpshooter. I played netball to the best of my ability."
It was a given that Tjihero joined the mighty Civics when she came to Windhoek, because it was the team to be on in the Khomas Netball League at the time.
There was even a season when Civics won the league without losing a single match under astute coach Anita Ndjaronguru.
Tjihero found herself in the company of some of Namibia's A-rated netballers and became one of the most valuable players until recently when she retired from international as well as club netball, where she was representing the Mighty Gunners and Wanderers.
WORK, FAMILY
The retired netballer has been married to Alex Tjihero since 2016 and the couple has four children.
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Tjihero is the proud holder of a level two coaching foundation degree, as well as a diploma holder in sport management and development, representing Namibia in the All-Africa Games as well as he Pen Series.
She describes herself as a hustler who is working around the clock to make a living.
"I resigned from my job as a soldier, because I was not growing in my career. I have a passion for beauty, which has prompted me to open a beauty studio. I enjoy making my fellow women beautiful with make-up and artificial lashes," she says.
Tjihero is currently also the technical manager of the Region 5 Youth Games.
"We just concluded successful championships. I want to be aggressively involved in sport management," she says.
Tjihero, who mentions a game in Pretoria where Namibia were level against South Africa at half-time as her most memorable match ever, is currently the secretary general of Namibian Sports Commission-affiliated Namibia Taekwondo Federation.
Her advice to young netball players is that education and sport goes hand in hand.
"One can't really go without the other. Invest in our children's future with decent education," she says.
