Being able to achieve your goals and dreams are one thing but it’s even more special doing it with your loved ones supporting you, writes Naeemah Benjamin.

This is even more true when they’re one of your biggest motivations for doing what you do.

Odirile Modimokoane, a young humble lad from Rustenburg, started his cricketing journey at 11 years old. It started out with him playing with his brother. This was before he cleaned up at school level and the mere reality that this could be a career started to sink in.

“I believe this is the start of big things,” he said exclusively to Cricket Fanatics Magazine.

“The journey that I’m on motivates me as I live with my family and that is one of my biggest motivations. They work hard, so I also need to work hard at achieving my goals to provide for them and to just give back. They’ve done alot for me.

“Not having cricket equipment and transportation was extremely hard for me growing up but there was a teacher in primary school that used to drive me every single day to practice and he (Mr van Rooyen) would drive me from Monday to Thursday to ensure I could practice my cricket.

“I still struggle with that now, I walk from school everyday to go to training. It’s about 8 kms from my school to the other school where I train. That’s how much it means to me.”

He started playing at Impala Cricket Club before he moved to RHS Cricket Academy.

His hard work continued and then he was selected for the Rustenburg team regional side called Oos-Noord Wes from the age of 12/13.

Then after he was selected for the North West U13 team. At the age of 14/15, he played for the North West U15, that’s when the journey properly started.

When he was 16 years old he played for the North West U19 team which he played for 3 years.

He also had a chance to play for The All Star team at the T20 schools. And he played int the North West Premier League.

He played in the LPL which is great for unearthing the next generation of cricketers .

At 18 years of age, the youngster already has a vision to help and assist where he can. He’s the assistant coach at RHS cricket academy.

“What I do is that I try and pass on my little knowledge that I have and the advice I get from the other coaches that work with me,” he continued.

“What I basically do is to try and prepare them for what’s been expected when they get to a higher level.

“It really means a lot to represent my country because it was one of my goals and it has been a dream ever since i was young. So I’m going to make the most out of this opportunity.”

He looks up to Temba Bavuma as a mirror that he draws inspiration from. He aims to insulate the Proteas batsman.

“From where he (Bavuma) came from and where he is now in his career because of the hard work that he’s done is something I can take from it because that’s actually more or less the same for me,” he explained.

“Virat Kohli is another player I take inspiration from because he’s extremely hard working and you can see the way he plays, full of passion and he never gives up on what he wants to achieve.”