Elizabeth Anna Danny Besser, better known as “Lizzy,” a remarkable young lady, has been making waves both in her academic pursuits as a 2nd-year full-time chartered accounting student at UNAM and on the netball court as a four-time member of the national team as well as the UNAM Jaguars team. Her journey is one of dedication, skill, and passion that inspires many around her.
Early Life and Education
Elizabeth, born and raised in Walvis Bay since the first grade of her school career, has always excelled in numbers and attended prize-giving ceremonies. “In high school, when we could choose our subjects, I chose accounting. It was one of the subjects that I knew I didn’t have to necessarily study for because I could easily write 70s in it,” she stated. She knew it was her safe haven and started doing her research on possible accounting jobs. She leaned towards Chartered Accountancy.
Besser further expressed that being a chartered accounting student has been challenging because being a student athlete means she has to work twice as hard as her fellow classmates, as her hours were not solely for her studies but for practice as well. Her daily routine consists of waking up at 6 for class until 14:30. She then tackles as much school work as she can between 16h00 and 17h00, where she then attends practice from 18h00 to 19h30. By 21h00, she concludes her day and then studies until 01h00.
Netball Career
In grade 4, Besser moved schools, and sports were compulsory. The only options available to her were hockey and netball. She started off with hockey but moved on to netball, and she has been playing ever since for the past 10 years. She states, “In high school, sports were no longer compulsory, but I continued playing netball out of a passion for the sport.”.
Besser’s netball positions in school consisted of defense; however, after high school, when she joined the UNAM Jaguars netball team, she was considered “short” and now plays midcourt.
Her accomplishment’s consist of representing Namibia. The first time she got Namibian colors was for the U-15 team. She also got selected as an U-19 national player on both occasions as vice captain, and this year she got selected for the U-21 World Cup qualifier team as captain. In addition, playing for the UNAM Jaguars is an accomplishment, as they played in the Super 10 and then got promoted to the MTC Netball Namibia Premier League.
Being a netball player has shaped Elizabeth into the person she is today. She has met many people and made friends nationally and internationally. She also gained confidence on court and as a socialite.
•Hear it from Lizzy
When it comes to juggling school and sports, Besser advices people to be disciplined and to manage your time. “In order to excel in both, you need to put effort into both and work hard in both. Everything is doable and achievable” she said. Elizabeth encourages the youth to go after their dreams, she urges everyone to believe in themselves and trust in their abilities.
As a Christian, she centers God to everything. She advices young people to trust God’s plan especially during the difficult times, to let your faith be the corner stone of your identity and to remain resilient in the pursuit of your dreams.
After 5 years, Lizzy sees herself as a Desert Jewel player while being a certified Chartered Accountant. Elizabeth Besser’s journey as a second-year chartered accounting student and four-time member of the netball national team is nothing short of extraordinary. Her story exemplifies the power of determination, dedication, and passion in achieving one’s goals across different domains.
