Where did you go to school?

I finished my high school at Maritzburg College in Pietermaritzburg, matriculating in 1987.

Did you enjoy your schooldays?

I think because it was a place where I could go and play sport, I did. Rugby union was very big there, but I wasn't allowed to play, because I had mild epilepsy as a child. So I played hockey.

Can you remember the school motto?

It was the Latin Pro Aris Et Focis which means 'For Hearth And Home'.

Did you play other sports?

For the first two years of school, I played tennis and athletics, and soccer for a local club. From the age of seven onwards I was playing first-team hockey, so the tennis fell by the wayside, and from the age of eight it was just hockey and cricket, six months each a year.

Did you excel at hockey as well as cricket?

Yes. I played for Natal Senior Schools as a 14-year-old playing in the 18-year-old age group, and the following year I made South African Schools. In my last year I captained the side. I also played two years of South African Schools cricket with Hansie Cronje. He was captain and I was vice-captain.

Did sport interfere with your schoolwork?

Not really. Both my parents were teachers, so they were fairly strict and made sure I did enough work to get by. I got a degree in the end, although it did take me five years.

What advice would you give to schoolchildren who want to pursue a career in sport?

Firstly, you've got to enjoy it. That's been a key to my limited success, because I really enjoy what I'm doing. You've got to be prepared to do all the hard work, but you've also got to love what you are doing. Enjoyment will see you through the hard times.