It was a lecture of a different kind for a group of GEMS Sports Academy students as they received words of wisdom from Ashes winner Holly Ferling.
Fresh from Australia’s triumph over their arch-rivals in England, the 19-year-old visited the Dubai-based institution to give tips to the specially-selected 20 aspiring athletes, aged between 16 and 19, on how to succeed at the highest level.
“I wanted to point out that their own talent and determination has taken them this far but there is still more work to do,” said Ferling, who made her international debut in 2013.
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“For me, I’m a similar age to all of them and I wanted to share my experiences on what I’ve gone through and what will be set ahead whether it’s setbacks or overcoming periods where you are not playing your best.”
She added: “The best piece of advice I gave them was take sport as a rollercoaster. There will be really good times and bad times when you are feeling low or your team isn’t doing as well as well you’d like. It takes one good game to get your mojo back. Hopefully my words will help them succeed in the future.
“I was really impressed with the curriculum and students and it’s great that the GEMS Sports Academy is based in Dubai which is rapidly growing.”