Elina Drikibau is only 18 and next week she flies off with the Fiji Pearls to the 2023 Netball World Cup in South Africa.

The journey to Cape Town for the youngest member of the Pearls team has not been smooth sailing and she has had to put on the back burner things girls her age do.

The Suva Grammar School student from Toki Village on Ovalau has had to juggle her chores to force her way into the 12-member Pearls squad.

“There’s been a lot of hard work and sacrifice in reaching this stage, I’ve been learning a lot from the experienced players going along the way,” she said.

“I’m not only representing my country, but I’m also representing my family, my school, my friends and my Lomaiviti club, so this means a lot to me.”