Michelle van Niekerk, a former student of Louis Trichardt High School and sought-after sport scientist and cricketer, is currently the only woman in the country qualified in her particular study field.

Last Saturday, October 29, Michelle’s team, the Limpopo Lilies, were ranked the best Ladies side in South Africa. With the bat, Michelle scored 42 runs off 51 balls. As bowler, this all-rounder took one wicket in 10 overs for the loss of 34 runs. The Lilies were the only provincial side in South Africa to beat the international Sri-Lankan side.

Michelle (22) was recently nominated to tour with South Africa’s U/19 men’s side to India as sports trainer. She declined, however, since they wanted the sports trainer to be a qualified physiotherapist as well.

Last year in November, Michelle was part of the Ladies South African World Cup Indoor team touring Sri-Lanka. They were the runners up in the finals in the World Cup when they were beaten by Australia. This year, this talented lady was the sports trainer of the Ladies Outdoor World Cup side.

Currently, Michelle is the women’s cricket coordinator of Limpopo. She is fitness and health trainer at the Limpopo Academy where she does protocol evaluations and lectures, amongst other things, in nutrition, psychology, program design, drugs in sport and biomechanics. Michelle is also the provincial men’s team’s (the Impalas) fitness trainer. She obtained her degree in Sport Science at the University of Pretoria in 2004.