How Vimbela bounced back after long-term injury

After surviving a career-threatening injury, Spar Proteas stalwart Zanele Vimbela is happy to be fit again and play elite netball. 

In 2020, when playing for the Golden Fireballs in the Telkom Netball League, Vimbela suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury, which ruled her out for the whole of the following season. The injury set her back as she could not join the Strathclyde Sirens in England’s netball league. Even though she spent most of the season out, she did not lack any suitors in the Netball Super League. 

For the 2022 Super League season, Loughborough snapped up Vimbela based on her experience in top-flight netball. She made 22 appearances this season as the team lost out in the semifinal of the playoffs to Manchester Thunder. 

After the season concluded, she joined the Proteas at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and was part of the core that got contracts, making her an integral part of the team. Vimbela was in the team that won the Spar Diamond Challenge last week. 

Being back on the court is something the tall defender is not taking lightly considering how the rehab process of getting back to full fitness drained her mentally and physically. 

“I’m still a work in progress, I have been through a tough time with rehab going through the injury,” said Vimbela when speaking to Sowetan. 

“Mentally it was challenging, you want to have the best preparation to get into the team, especially when netball is evolving in terms of the game.

“It requires a high level of mental strength and physical preparation, in terms of what you need to do to get back into the court,” she said about her journey to being fit. 

The 33-year-old has been at the top level for a long time, she shared what it takes to play at a top standard and be consistent for a long time. 

”Getting there is hard enough, but staying there is harder. You have to be so consistent, you can’t drop the ball on anything that you commit to. It’s hard work, putting in the extras where you lack or know where you need to improve,” said Vimbela.

“It is challenging mentally because some days, you don’t want to do this but you have to. It’s tough, but that'’s what you’re there to do, that’s your job. That’s the level of competition that you’re playing. You have to set the standards, and you can’t drop the ball.”