IT is said that behind every successful man there is a strong woman, but Sunshine Girl goalkeeper Nicole Aiken-Pinnock says husband Phillip may be the strong man behind her.

The six-foot-tall player has been married for less than a year to a cricketer, but said having a hubby who is also a sportsman helps a great deal.

“We know our priorities. It’s challenging at times but he understands me a lot. He’s a big motivator, which is good,” she told the Observer.

“Those days when it gets really tough, frustrating then he’s always there to push me,” she added.

Phillip Pinnock hails from a strong sporting background. His father is former Jamaica cricketer, Renford, while his brother Renford Jnr plays for St Catherine Cricket Club. Phillip himself plays club cricket for GC Foster College.

“He understands sports and he loves netball. I’m still trying to love cricket,” she laughed. “Once he doesn’t have a game he’s always here.”

That may turn out to be quite often as Aiken-Pinnock is also a member of the winning Berger Paints Super League team, Jamalco.

The athlete is fortunate to have a strong family circle that understands. Her sister is national goal-shooter Romelda.

They shared the experience of their first World Netball Championships (WNC) together in Auckland, New Zealand four years ago and they will be going to their second together this July in Singapore.

“We have been close from long time, even growing up. If we fight at home in the younger days, don’t try to get in the middle of it.

“On and off the court she is a good motivator,” Aiken Pinnock said of her sister.

The pair have had to spend several months on separate continents for much of the last three years, with Romelda having earned a contract to play semi-professional netball for the Queensland Firebirds in the ANZ Championships in Australia following her outstanding performance at the 2007 WNC.

“I dealt with it okay. I had family here. She was the one I was more concerned about. We used to talk everyday on the phone. And if I don’t call she would call and say, ‘Nicole! How you nuh call me today?'”

Aiken-Pinnock, a teacher of physical education at Ewarton, travels to Kingston regularly for training and then returns home to Spanish Town at the end of a long day as she prepares for the July 3-10 World Championships.

“Singapore. I just can’t wait to get there,” she said.

“Preparation is different. I have seen where as an individual my game is growing. I’m starting to understand the role of a defence much better. I’m reading the game much better so I’m so looking forward to going to Singapore to explore,” she said.

“I promised myself that I’m going to do excellent and I’m hoping that at the end of the day it will be one that gives Jamaica a big victory,” she declared.

Aiken-Pinnock is hoping for a different result than the third-place finish in Auckland four years ago based upon the team’s current training schedule.

“I’m expecting to give 100 per cent every time I take the court. We’re not just going there to sit and roll over and come back home and say, ‘yes, we have had a good World Champs’ without a medal, and it’s not just any medal, it’s the gold medal,” she stated.

Aiken-Pinnock also has a lot of respect for technical director Jill McIntosh who stayed with the team three full months as part of their preparation for the big show.

“Jill has opened our eyes. We’re learning things. The girls are very motivated. They adopt what she says. The response is just fantastic and I really like the dedication — the time that we have to give up. There’s no going back,” she said.