So.. my story started with Coventry University Basketball in 2014. I came from basketball country - Lithuania, and I was playing basketball since I was 10years old so of course I had to join the team. After first year (if I remember correctly) I became captain of the team, and also took responsibility of being team’s treasurer. Also I'm proud to say that we won committee of the year. With women’s basketball growing, we put all the efforts together with coach Rob to initiate the first steps to compete in national league as well.

After I left Coventy I moved to Oxford and I was playing in Thames Valley Cavaliers, we got from D2 to D1 that year and I moved back to Lithuania. Since I have been back, I have started working with one of the best youth basketball academies (in Lithuania), Zalgiris, as a physiotherapist, and with rugby club, Azuolas for 2 years. Now I'm finishing my year as a lead physiotherapist in men's EuroCup basketball team in France.

Basketball was always not just a passion for me. It got me through my hardest times in life, I met people who are still in my life up until this day, and I keep trying to make it back every year for alumni to see everyone and have fun with all these people together. And now, its my job, and I would not change it to anything else. It's about teamwork, about love for basketball, love for the game.

Also, forgot to add, my year with Cov basketball we always had s&c sessions [as part of the Team Phoenix program], in which the girls were crazy competitive about who was going to lift more weights, then having breakfast together, then training together and like this almost every single day. It was a family. And as a foreign person, who is away from her initial home environment, friends and everything else, Cov basketball got me through my hardest times in life… if i wasnt part of the team, I dont think I would be where I am now.

Aaaaand it was first time we won varsity as well!!!

Read our other alumni stories here: Millie (Netball)