By Ryan Mobilia
It is not every day you receive an email that promises to change your life, and it actually does - but so it was for Bulleen Boomers star centre Elyse Penaluna in 2009.
“I just checked my email one afternoon and got the fright of my life basically.”
“So I started screaming and my brothers were looking at me like ‘what’s going on?’”
The 21 year old member of the Bulleen Boomers WNBL team had just been told of her inclusion in the Australian women’s national basketball squad, the World Champion Opals.
The contents of that email would alter Elyse Penaluna’s life forever and send her on a worldwide adventure.
She was to spend her May travelling with the Opals team to compete in China, Italy, France and the Czech Republic.
As I sat down with Elyse to discuss the whirlwind events of her past few months, she explained her initial reaction to the National team inclusion. “I was very shocked, I suppose you could say.”
Her voice rises as she continues with obvious enthusiasm, “I was very excited, I was very nervous as well. I wasn’t expecting it at all. To have that come up was just fantastic.”
As she begins to recount the tale of her trip, it is tough not to notice the contrasting environments. The sights, sounds and sweat of competing in the Northern Hemisphere, seem far removed from the rugged up figure I found her this day. We spoke amid the sounds of balls bouncing, whistles blowing and scoreboards sounding around us.
The trip started in China, at a location of which Elyse admits (not surprisingly in such a hectic tour) to have forgotten the name. The Opals played three games against the Chinese National Team, which boasted six Olympians. She confesses playing against that level of competition was certainly tough, but was proud of their results, ending with one win and two losses (one by only a single point) in the three encounters.
It becomes evident that China was also the location for the highlight of her trip. She was promoted to the starting line up in the third game and had what she describes as “probably the best game I’ve had internationally.” It was a culmination of the faith shown with her selection to the squad and Head Coach Carrie Graf and her coaching staff’s recognition of her positive approach to the game. “To start that game and basically have Graffy’s confidence to go out there and do it, that was definitely my highlight and I played really good that day.”
Next stop for the Opals was a three day training camp in Italy, just out of Milan. The camp incorporated two gruelling training sessions for two hours each day, and despite minimising sight seeing opportunities, provided Elyse with some invaluable experience.
“The girls were fantastic, just great to train against.” She explains, recalling her opportunity to practice against and learn from the likes of a tough, experienced trio in Emma Randall, Abby Bishop and Hollie Grima. “I’ve never really had a big person to train against, so it was great to be able to bash and box people out and push people.”
From Italy the team headed to Brno in the Czech Republic and played their national team twice, another mixed result of one win, one loss.
The final destination was France, and after a practice game against Hungary, the Opals competed in a three game mini tournament. “We won three of the four games there and lost to France on the last day.”
When asked to evaluate her experience, with a beaming smile she sums up why so many sacrifice so much when pursuing their dream of wearing the green and gold.
“There are no words to describe how you feel when you’re wearing that uniform and playing for your country.”
“I’ve learned so much in a three week gap, with the skills that Graffy has picked up over a number of years and from the other assistant coaches that were there.”
Michele Timms, Assistant Coach with the Opals, explained that Elyse showed a mentally and physically tough side to her game while on tour, something not seen in the previous WNBL season.
“She really got an idea of what it’s going to take to be an Opal and make the World Championship team,” said Timms.
Elyse realises that she has a lot of improvement in her.
“I definitely know I need to work on a lot before my next Opals thing. I need to get stronger… the international game is completely different to the WNBL.”
Throughout the tour Elyse, along with Abby Bishop, wrote a blog for the fans back home on the progress of the team. But juggling gym, individual and team training, with her new educational endeavour of studying Child Services at TAFE, a media career is not exactly the next step in her plans.
Her aspirations for the immediate future revolve firmly around basketball and after her most sought after goal of becoming an Opals regular, Elyse is looking to accomplish even more.
“I definitely want to head over to Europe, in the next two years probably. And hopefully get a contract over there. I want to make the 2012 Olympics and then hopefully make it into the WNBA.”
“I definitely want to make this my career and see where it can take me.”
One of her many ambitions is to follow in the biggest footsteps of Australian women’s basketball, Lauren Jackson, who embodies everything Elyse is striving to achieve in her game.
“I look up to Lauren Jackson. She is just an amazing player and I definitely want to mould my game around hers. She is just so aggressive and wants to be the best and wants to win a gold medal. That is the ultimate goal I suppose for any elite athlete.”
Her high spirits and energy shine through like the sun on this wintry Melbourne day, and it is clear there are no clouds on the horizon.
“Over the past two years I’ve really found my passion for the game and have really just wanted to be the best I can be.”
Elyse has also found, much like the email she opened on that life altering day, that she has been opened up to a world of possibility and opportunity.
“I’m enjoying every moment.”
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