Monday 19 August 2019 12:34, UK
Maryka Holtzhausen, the Severn Stars shooter and South Africa international, has announced her retirement from professional netball.
Holtzhausen amassed over a century of caps for her country with her last international match being against England in their bronze medal World Cup clash at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool.
The dynamic shooter competed for South Africa at three Commonwealth Games and three Netball World Cups and captained the national side for three years from 2013 to 2016.
For the past two years, the 32-year-old played her domestic netball with Severn Stars and led the franchise to a sixth-place finish last season.
Following her announcement, she spoke openly about her decision to hang up her professional netball dresses.
"I have quite mixed feelings to be honest," reflected the goal attack. "Although I have a real peace in my heart about my decision, it doesn't make it easy to say goodbye to such a big part of my life.
"Being part of Stars has been a great highlight in my career. Being part of a new franchise and building a culture has been special. The Stars family welcomed me with open arms and it became my home away from home.
I think every athlete gets to a point in their career where it feels right to let go and move on. It just feels right to start focusing on other things in my life.
"I knew in the last Netball World Cup and in my last Stars match that it was the final time," she added.
"I remember so clearly pulling those dresses over my head for the final time. I think it was just a whole rush of emotions, but all those emotions means it really was a very special time in my life.
Holtzhausen will now continue her role as a Sports Administrator at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein.
