Ep. 16 – Maretha Retief; Junior Wimbledon, Disability, & Redefining Success

Meet Maretha, a writer and mom, who competed in Junior Wimbledon as a teenager. Maretha was born with ectrodactyly, a genetic condition that means her left hand only has a thumb and pinkie finger. The disability is often called a "lobster hand" and also affects her heart. Since her right hand seemed to be unaffected, she became a successful tennis player and qualified for Junior Wimbledon. Not long into competition, however, she had trouble with her right hand. She discovered that, even though it didn't look affected by ectrodctyly, her right hand couldn't keep up with the demands of her tennis career because of her disability. She began to question why God would allow her tennis career to end when she was so successful. She felt angry and lost and wondered if she had worth without tennis. In an attempt to achieve a new standard of perfection, she became bulimic. Eventually, Maretha says she realized that God had made her to be more than just a professional tennis player and the grace, she says, is that he let her figure it out in her own time.

Download Maretha's free book Seasons With Christ at SeasonsWithChrist.com

Maretha's Answers To The Fun Questions:
• What are you loving right now? Her two month old and getting sleep
• What's your favorite meal right now? White chocolate
• What are you doing to take care of yourself? Prioritizing time with God and taking time to write
• What are you doing to be brave? Enjoying time with her husband and choosing to be social even when it makes her uncomfortable

Connect with Maretha:
BLOG: SeasonsWithChrist.com
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/SeasonsWithChrist
TWITTER: twitter.com/MR2603
INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/Maretha_Retief

Connect with Becky:
BLOG: BeckyLMcCoy.com
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/BeckyLMcCoy
TWITTER: twitter.com/BeckyLMcCoy
INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/BeckyLMcCoy
NEWSLETTER: eepurl.com/bBOHH1 

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NOTE: Sucker Punched is the podcast formerly known as Stories of Unfolding Grace