Pack-Mwashekele played for the love of netball

Valery Pack-Mwashekele says she played netball for the love of the sport, and not because she had to please others.

The retired all-rounder played top-flight netball for the TransNamib, Civics, and United netball teams in the Khomas First Division.

Born in Windhoek, Pack-Mwashekele, who grew up at Aminuis settlement in the Omakaheke region, returned to the city where she started her education journey.

She excelled playing in the centre, goal-attack, and wing-attack positions.

Pack-Mwashekele started playing netball at St Andrew’s Primary School in Khomasdal and moved on to Khomasdal Primary School before she became one of the first pupils who started at Eldorado Secondary School.

“I was a real education nomad. My stay at Eldorado was very brief before I eventually moved on to David Bezuidenhout Secondary School, where I did grades 9 and 10,” she says.

“I finally went to Windhoek High School (WHS), and it was also where my netball career became a little more serious. I became the first-ever black girl to play for the WHS netball team, whether junior or senior.”