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Q&A
So You Thought You Knew Rebecca Smith …
by Jeremy Ruane
Our in-depth interview with Football Ferns star Rebecca Smith concludes with a Q&A session, asking the sort of questions footballers don't often get to answer but which reveal plenty about what makes them tick. So, without further ado …
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If you weren't playing soccer, which sport would you be playing?
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“I really like golf. I picked it up in my teenage years, and took some lessons, and since then, when I get a free chance I'll go hit some balls at the driving range, or go round the course. It's something that's kind of natural for me. There's more money in golf too!
“I played basketball in high school, and was going to play both basketball and soccer at Duke as well, but after talking to the basketball coach, it was just too much.
“I like surfing too. Being a professional surfer would be fun. Travel all over the world, hit some of the best beaches in the world, and the lifestyle is really cruisy - I like it!”
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Which three items would you like to have with you on a deserted island?
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“The internet - it keeps you connected. Music - a never-ending Ipod, where you could always change and add new music. That'd be sweet! And a partner - someone to keep me company, `cause it'd be kind of boring by myself, I guess”.
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Who are the three people you would most like to invite to dinner?
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“Spontaneously, my mum, my dad and my sister”.
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Who would you most want to be for a day and why?
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“The Dalai Lama, `cause I think he's found spiritual peace, and I would like to be in his shoes for one day. He's so calm and peaceful, and non-violent, and I like what he preaches”.
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What do you most like about soccer?
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“Travelling and meeting new people, being able to be as competitive as possible and pushing yourself to the edge physically and mentally”.
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What do you most like about New Zealand, and your home town?
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“New Zealand is the most beautiful country in the world, period. The landscapes, and all the things you can do there - you can go surfing, snowboarding, water-skiing, shopping, white-water rafting … you can do everything outdoors in NZ. I love that, and it's beautiful wherever you are. And this besides the fact my family is there.
“I love Los Angeles because it has everything. California's got a lot, too, but everything you could ever dream of, it exists in LA. How to find it is another question, but from shopping to restaurants to people to sightseeing, Hollywood, beaches, music … LA's just a big fat mix of variety. It's always exciting”.
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Favourite airline?
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“Singapore Airlines”.
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Best hotel you`ve stayed in?
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“I think that was in Bali, with my family - it wasn't on a soccer trip. It was some resort in Bali, so beautiful, and so cheap - right on the beach”.
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Best attribute?
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“Personality - that encompasses everything. Sense of humour is important, but so is open-mindedness, but they're part of your personality. So, personality - as suggested by a friend! Haha!!”
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Craziest thing you've ever done?
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“Oh my God! I don't know if I'm allowed to tell you that, to be honest! I think the Queenstown Nevis Highwire Bungy Jump.
“Last time I was in NZ with friends I did the Ledge bungy jump, then the Kawarau Bridge bungy backwards - and got dunked into the river! - and lastly, I did Nevis - all three of them in a couple of days.
“You drive up to the top in a bus, then when you get out, you look over into this big crevice - a huge cliff, which drops down to this tiny little river below that you can barely even see! It has these big steel cables which are connected to this gondola, which is hovering in the middle.
“Then you take a mini-gondola, which, if you stand up, is completely open up top - you close this tiny little door, and if you wanted to hop out on the way, you could! It takes you over to the jumping platform in the middle, and you jump off … it's roughly an eight-second free-fall.
“I've never felt my heart beat so big in my chest! And I've never done something in such a dream-like state, because it was such an out-of-this world experience. That'd be the craziest thing I've ever done”.
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More worldly matters are Rebecca Smith's current focus, of course. Following the opportunity to represent her country once more, at the Cyprus Cup, establishing herself in the VFL Wolfsburg set-up is high on the agenda for this proud Kiwi defender, an experience from which she hopes the Football Ferns will benefit as they continue along the road to Germany 2011 and London 2012 in the months to come.
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