We recently caught up with Dineamic Ambassador & Melbourne Vixen, Emily Mannix to chat about her time on the court, what she gets up to off the court and how Dineamic fits in with her busy life. Here’s what she had to say.
Dineamic: We’ve had the chance to get together with you in the past, but for those out there who may not know you, can you tell a little about your role on the court?
Emily: Sure! I play as a Defender in GK and GD for the Melbourne Vixens netball team, and I’m now in my fourth year playing with the team.
D: Can you tell us a little about what you like to get up to when you’re not on the court?
E: When I’m not on the court, which is a lot of the time, I love getting outdoors. I have to travel quite a bit between home in St Leonards (VIC) and training and matches in Melbourne or interstate, so in my spare time I love catching up with friends and family, going on adventures like camping and exploring new walking trails in my area and along the surf coast. It’s a good way to get away from it all, especially when there’s no phone reception.
D: Someone told us you’ve also started flipping houses, can you tell us a bit about that?
E: My partner & I recently flipped our first house, and now we’re on to the second which is our next big adventure. It does help that some of my family are builders, so they get recruited to help us from time to time. It’s hard work and time consuming, but it’s also heaps of fun and really rewarding.
D: What do you find most difficult about eating well while being so busy?
E: Because I live a fair distance from training, I struggle with planning a good meal around travel/training time. Being organised and prepared is essential in making sure I am eating the right foods to help fuel and refuel my body.
D: What do you like about Dineamic & how does it fit in to your busy life?
E: Dineamic is a lifesaver. Sometimes I get home quite late from training, or there isn't much in the pantry to make a good lunch, and sometimes, I just cannot be bothered cooking. Having a nutritious, tasty meal on hand that can be heated up and eaten straight from the pack is amazing. It tastes just as good as a home cooked meal as well.
D: What are the challenges with getting your diet right for training?
E: The challenges I face is eating enough food, but also the right food before training. Having to leave so far in advance to training time sometimes makes it hard to plan what and when to eat so that by the time I need to step on court or hit the gym, my body is fuelled and raring to go.
Dineamic is great because it’s quick, easy and delicious and the different options mean that no matter what, there's always something in my freezer that tickles my fancy. The Power Balls are also a great snack to take in the car for the trip up.
D: What is your go-to Dineamic meal?
E: My absolute favourite is the Mushroom and Chicken Risotto. It tastes exactly like a home cooked meal and is a great post training dinner. I love eating it straight out of the tray, you don’t need to add anything to it, just toss it in the microwave & dinner is good to go.
D: What is your favourite way to serve Dineamic?
E: Like with the Chicken & Mushroom Risotto, I usually eat it straight from the container. I’m generally starving when I get home from training, so no time to waste!
On days when I have a bit more time I'll add some sides. If I have one of the curries I like to add some rice and Greek yoghurt. I also like to add a side salad to the Beef Lasagne and even some garlic bread, because who doesn't love garlic bread?!
The soup options have been awesome lately because it’s been freezing cold in Melbourne & Geelong.
D: You recently injured yourself on-court and are recovering from that with the hope you’ll get to return before the season ends. Do you have any advice on recovering from injury & getting back to training?
E: Mine was a bit of a nasty injury to my hand, and means that I can’t catch or throw a ball with it at the moment, but I’m following the guidance of my doctors and taking it easy on my hand for now. The good thing is that because it’s my hand, I can still keep my fitness up by training without a netball so that when my hand has recovered, I’ll be ready to get back on the court.
My advice would be to follow the instructions of your doctors, everyone is different, and every injury is as well. If you give yourself the time to recover fully rather than forcing it, the road to recovery is often a smoother one with less risk of reinjuring yourself.
Keeping your strength and fitness up in other ways and maintaining a good diet are also important, then when your injury has healed, you’ll be able to get back out there sooner rather than later.
To find out more about Emily, check out her profile on the Melbourne Vixens website, and to get tickets to the high-intensity matches that are coming up, click here.
