Loughborough Lightning star Jess Shaw is targeting a strong season for club and country as she looks to secure her England place at this summer’s Commonwealth Games.
Having left the Lightning in 2020, Shaw has had successful spells with Team Bath, Severn Stars and Birmingham Panthers, but now returns to last year’s Netball Super League runners-up a far more polished player.
Ahead of her team’s season opener against the LexisNexis Dragons on Saturday, live on Sky SportsShaw set his goals for the year, which includes the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July and August.
“This team is really exciting,” Shaw shared Sky Sports.
“They’ve been in the finals now for five years in a row so hopefully we’ll be in the finals again this year.
“As it’s a Commonwealth Games year for me, coming to the Lightning will help me perform. I’ve got the team behind me and if I perform, I’ll be out on that track.”
Her return got off to an encouraging start as the Lightning started the year by winning the Super Cup at the weekend.
Shaw also explained that some of the thinking behind her move to Loughborough was that she would get playing time across both the wing attack and center positions.
She added: “Coming into a Commonwealth Games year it’s really important that I’m on top of my game and playing across both positions, so hopefully I can get that this season.”
‘Diabetes still catches me off guard’
Shaw’s rise to the top of the sport is made even more remarkable by the fact that she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as a teenager.
The 29-year-old still has to manage his health carefully, but finds motivation in showing younger people with the condition that they can succeed in elite sport.
“I still find it really challenging to live with type 1 diabetes,” Shaw said. “It still catches me off guard depending on different games and things.
“But over the years I’ve started to get a bit more of a handle on what works for me on game days and training around that.
“But then again, some days it’s just out of my control and I really struggle to get it in that range.
“For me, it’s just doing it for those who are younger and look up to me as a role model, to know that even living with type 1 diabetes doesn’t stop you, and when you get to the top, it’s actually a lot sweeter.”
Watch the Netball Super League live on Sky Sports this season, starting with champions London Pulse vs Manchester Thunder, live on Sky Sports Mix and Sky Sports+ from 19.25 Friday 27 February