Shaping Her Legacy By Finding Her Voice

Written on the 29 July 2025 by Abby Wijesekera

For 16-year-old Academy Bingara Gorge Netball athlete Ifeoma Ojim, netball isn’t just about winning games, it’s about finding confidence, learning resilience, and honouring the quiet strength of the person who’s always pushing the limits to be better. 

“My mum is my number one supporter,” Ojim says. “She’s always there. When I’ve had setbacks, she’s always reminded me not to give up, to keep going, to believe in myself. Without her I wouldn’t have kept playing.” 

Now in her second year with the South West Sydney Academy of Sport's Bingara Gorge Netball program, Ojim is a competitive defender, a role that demands consistency, control under pressure and smart decision-making. Although, her proudest moments have not only been athletic, they have been personal. 

“I used to be quiet,” she reflects. “I wasn’t confident at all. I wouldn’t speak, I wouldn’t take the lead. But this year, I’ve really started stepping up. I feel like I’ve found my voice.” 

That growth has been apparent to all those around her and has led her to stamp her mark as a competitive up and coming defender in her sport. This led her to trial for the Netball NSW U17's state team as a 16-year-old, with her tenacity on the court pushing her to make the final stage of selection for the team, in which she was unsuccessful. 

“I didn’t make the team, and I started questioning if I was good enough,” she says. “I thought maybe netball wasn’t for me. But my mum was the one who kept me going. She said, ‘One trial doesn’t define you. Keep working.’” 

And it is within that minor setback that has led to Ojim training and competing with a fiery desire to prove herself, and has been a driving force of her success as an athlete and a leader. 

“At the Academy, I’ve learned how to speak up. We do a lot of sessions where we talk and present and reflect. That’s helped me be more confident.” 

Training with the Academy has also helped Ojim handle pressure in high-stakes moments. In elite levels of sport, all eyes are on you, and the nerves can be overwhelming. 

“I used to get really nervous in games,” she admits. “I’d get in my head and feel like I couldn’t do anything right. Now I’ve learned to breathe, reset, and keep playing. Even if I make a mistake, I just move on.” 

Setbacks still come with the off days, tough opponents, and moments of self-doubt, but she’s learned how to respond rather than retreat. 

“I just remind myself that I’ve done the work. And I think about my mum, and how she often reminds me that all you need to give is your best effort. That gives me strength.” 

Her mum’s influence runs deep, not only as support, but as a quiet example of resilience and generosity for Ojim to use to help her overcome obstacles in her own game. 

Outside of netball, Ojim is balancing a high workload including Year 11 studies, along with training into long, busy days. It’s not always easy, but she says sport gives her structure. 

“It keeps me focused. When I’m stressed, netball is a release. And it reminds me what I’m working for.” 

Looking ahead, she’ is not so much chasing the spotlight, just the chance to keep growing. 

“I want to see how far I can go. I want to keep getting better. Whether it’s representative teams or higher-level trials, I’m just going to keep pushing myself.” 

And if she could speak to the younger version of herself, the one who almost gave up on netball altogether? 

“I’d say don’t let one ‘NO’ stop you. Believe in yourself. It’s okay to be nervous, it’s okay to fall. Just don’t stay down.” 

With her mum beside her, and her own voice rising stronger every season, Ojim is doing exactly that. 

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