By Renae Smyth
Swapping her goal defence bib for medical scrubs, the Birmingham-born netballer will join the fight against Covid-19 as a doctor in England.
Co-captaining the Thunderbirds last season, Guscoth flew out of Adelaide on Tuesday after it was announced that the Suncorp Super Netball season would be placed on hold until the end of June.
Adelaide Thunderbirds Coach, Tania Obst acknowledged how important it was for Guscoth to put her much-needed skills to good use.
“Being a doctor, she wants to help and is looking to go back to the hospital she was at before,” Obst said.
Juggling two professional careers hasn’t always been easy for the 28-year-old. Choosing medicine over netball in 2018, saw Guscoth miss out on gold in the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, when England famously defeated the Australian Diamonds by one goal.
South African teammates, Lenize Potgieter and Shadine van der Merwe, have returned home, while Shamera Sterling will be based in Perth with her three Jamaican teammates.
With all club training now postponed, Obst admitted to feeling deflated, but is already looking to the future and the return of the game.
“Yesterday (Tuesday), I was thinking this is just a moment in time, we will get passed it,” she said.
Obst is looking to explore alternative approaches with athletes to ensure they are ready to get back on court once the season resumes.
“I’m a bit of a control freak with my planning and that has all gone out the window.
“That has all changed overnight, and we know we won’t be playing competitive netball until at least July.
“If we have two weeks to prepare, what will that look like?
“If it is a month what does that look like, those things will be going through my mind.
“We are devising creative ways we can still keep them engaged somehow. Whether they come together in small groups or train by themselves.
“They are looking for that routine which most athletes need and some have requested training programs.
“We are planning as best we can with the limitations and working with the government guidelines.”
