{"id":12486,"date":"2022-04-15T15:18:24","date_gmt":"2022-04-15T15:18:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/?p=12486"},"modified":"2022-04-15T15:18:24","modified_gmt":"2022-04-15T15:18:24","slug":"player-spotlight-halimat-adio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/player-spotlight-halimat-adio\/","title":{"rendered":"Player Spotlight: Halimat Adio"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written by Sam Akpan<\/em><\/p>\n

When the Pulse faced up against Loughborough during the 2021 season in Wakefield, it signified a turning point. While the day belonged to the Lightning – taking a 12-point victory on the road to what would be a title-winning season, one key storyline from that day came from Pulse goalkeeper Halimat Adio, whose strong performance against two-time Golden Shooter Cholhok Mary Nuba raised eyebrows across the league. The game fitted seamlessly into what is a concurrent theme for Adio, who certainly does not back down from a challenge. As she takes me through that game and day inside of a meeting room in the Copper Box, I scribble down the details, pausing only to take a break to marvel at how ironic this is, given her story and progression through the game.<\/p>\n

Adio\u2019s journey within sport began early; crediting her older sister\u2019s influence as a reason to get involved in netball. Growing up in North London, she cites the \u201cfriendship, like minded team vibe\u201d as her reasons for loving netball, factors that have certainly stood the test of time. Adio flourished early on within the sport, realising soon that a competitive career was a massive possibility. Despite a positional change from attack to defence, this would only work to her benefit, eventually getting involved with England Futures, getting selected to England U21 and Netball Europe.<\/p>\n

But it wasn\u2019t to be only plain-sailing however. Discouraging and disparaging moments occurred on the path to breakthrough. She tells me about the comments, with \u2018you\u2019re good but you\u2019re not there yet\u2019 being welded by former coaches as a reason for not breaking out sooner. And it did have its impact, with Adio coming face to face with the possibility of quitting netball while at Severn Stars.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they [Severn Stars] didn\u2019t give me a contract that year, I remember a tournament and me saying, this will be my last tournament, I just don\u2019t feel like I\u2019m not being given the opportunity to show how good I am as a player\u201d.<\/p>\n

While a tough period, it sounded like an eerily similar rendition of a song that had already been composed all through Halimat\u2019s career with the lack of opportunity at this point feeling like nothing new. \u201cI had started the Superleague when I was 17, didn\u2019t play my first Superleague, didn\u2019t play in the second one and my third one, played a bit, then I got injured\u2026 and then I came to Pulse\u201d.<\/p>\n

While Adio\u2019s move to the London Pulse would signal a great shift in her career, she came as a training partner before being included into the VNSL 12s before opportunities opened for her to get regular playing time as a co-captain. \u201cI was able to understand myself as a player, my strengths and weaknesses, and tap into that, so I\u2019m happy I didn\u2019t give up\u201d.<\/p>\n

In our conversation, she takes the time to show her appreciation for current Pulse coach Sam Bird, whose belief and willingness in Adio encouraged her to continue fighting for a chance back from their days together in Severn. \u201cShe\u2019s a very good coach, really good woman as well. She doesn\u2019t just care about you as an athlete but tries to understand the behind the scenes. She is adaptable with me and every athlete on the team\u201d.<\/p>\n

When Adio\u2019s chance came in the Superleague with Pulse, she took it with both hands, thriving and coming to be known as one of the top goalkeepers in the league. While it might be tempting to call it a breakout year, it felt more of a vindication of the ability Adio and others already knew she had. \u201cIn fact\u201d she says, \u201cI could have a bad game and Sam [Bird] would tell me I\u2019m keeping you on\u2026 being told by your coach that they rate you, it\u2019s a great feeling\u201d. The realising of her potential was a gradual process, one she took game by game. \u201cWhen you\u2019ve worked hard to get to where you are, you can\u2019t give up or be slack about it\u2026 I worked so hard to get here\u201d.<\/p>\n

While this ascent has unfortunately been temporarily halted due to a lateral meniscus tear, she remains involved as a key figure for the growing Pulse. She has certainly taken the opportunity to support her Pulse teammates as a key member of the leadership team while rehabbing, with starlet Funmi Fadoju emphasising how Adio always looks out for her. It\u2019s a role that Halimat embraces both on and off the court \u2013 using time to be a part of significant initiatives off the court like Beyond The Court <\/i>with England Netball and the Metropolitan Police which help young girls at risk through sport. \u201cIt\u2019s not just about me\u201d, Adio emphasises as I ask about her long-term ambitions in the game. It\u2019s an important part of her own journey, understanding that for some, the same access to the sport is not available. Recognising her position and attainment and the support from family, friends, and others she has been given on the way, she relishes the unique position this puts her in to help give back.<\/p>\n

This time away from the court will also allow her to continue to grow outside of the game no doubt, where she separates the competitive, laser-focused mantra present in her game from her life outside of netball. Describing herself as a \u201cconfident, free-spirited person who likes to do her thing\u201d, she also is a big fan of photography, a passion which she picked up to help document her memories with friends.<\/p>\n

While it is common that long-term injuries can often mean players come back with reduced explosiveness impacting their game, it is no surprise that when I ask Halimat about her injury, she smiles before telling me \u2018I\u2019ll be back better\u2019. It is another indictment of the self-confidence that has driven Adio up the ladder within the sport and will continue to see her flourish for years to come. With her eyes set on achieving a lot more in her career post rehabilitation, it is fair to say the best is truly yet to come, both on and off the court.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Written by Sam Akpan When the Pulse faced up against Loughborough during the 2021 season in Wakefield, it signified a turning point. While the day belonged to the Lightning – taking a 12-point victory on the road to what would be a title-winning season, one key storyline from that day came from Pulse goalkeeper Halimat…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6290,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[297,18,17],"tags":[],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-scaled.jpg",2560,1707,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-768x512.jpg",640,427,true],"large":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-1024x683.jpg",640,427,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-2048x1366.jpg",2048,1366,true],"sportspress-crop-medium":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-300x300.jpg",300,300,true],"sportspress-fit-medium":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"sportspress-fit-icon":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-128x85.jpg",128,85,true],"sportspress-fit-mini":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-32x21.jpg",32,21,true],"post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-380x370.jpg",380,370,true],"alchemists_thumbnail":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-380x270.jpg",380,270,true],"alchemists_thumbnail-alt":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-380x197.jpg",380,197,true],"alchemists_thumbnail-alt2":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-380x320.jpg",380,320,true],"alchemists_thumbnail-square":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-400x400.jpg",400,400,true],"alchemists_thumbnail-xs":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-80x80.jpg",80,80,true],"alchemists_thumbnail-xs-wide":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-90x68.jpg",90,68,true],"alchemists_thumbnail-xs-wide-alt":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-112x84.jpg",112,84,true],"alchemists_thumbnail-sm":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-280x218.jpg",280,218,true],"alchemists_thumbnail-n":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-500x280.jpg",500,280,true],"alchemists_thumbnail-tile-lg":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-328x396.jpg",328,396,true],"alchemists_thumbnail-tile-xlg":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-778x458.jpg",778,458,true],"alchemists_thumbnail-lg":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-773x380.jpg",773,380,true],"alchemists_thumbnail-lg-alt":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-773x408.jpg",773,408,true],"alchemists_thumbnail-ver":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-380x490.jpg",380,490,true],"alchemists_thumbnail-player":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-356x237.jpg",356,237,true],"alchemists_thumbnail-player-lg":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-380x570.jpg",380,570,true],"alchemists_thumbnail-player-lg-fit":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-470x313.jpg",470,313,true],"alchemists_thumbnail-player-sm":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-189x198.jpg",189,198,true],"alchemists_thumbnail-player-block":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-140x210.jpg",140,210,true],"alchemists_team-logo-sm-fit":["https:\/\/londonpulsenetball.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Team-Bath-v-London-Pulse-27-70x47.jpg",70,47,tr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