Lisa Reed has been with Halswell Netball Club for 5 years. She is a coach, Committee member and this year is playing in one of their social teams. And she's an essential worker! 

We caught up with Lisa and asked her about what it's been like during Lockdown.

CNC: What its been like being and essential worker?

LR: If I'm honest, I feel pretty lucky to have been an essential worker. As I work at Foodstuffs South Island we were pretty busy since the first case came into the country due to panic buying. Once the numbers of cases ramped up our numbers for orders for each supermarket did as well.

Then 'pretty busy' became an understatement. Unlike the front line staff  e.g  check out operators, there wasn’t the pressure from the shoppers but there was the pressures getting as much as we could to each market as soon as we could. It was definitely new territory for everyone and because of this and the support the leadership teams gave each department the expectations were not as intense as we were all in the same uncharted waters.

Once we went to level 4 it dropped in numbers for orders. Which was a welcome break from most people. This meant some of us could spend a bit more time at home. For me, having my mum at home full time gave me the confidence that she was safe. With all the new mandatory hygiene practices of social distancing etc I was fairly confident that as long as people stayed in their work bubble and home bubble, me and my family were safe. For me there was a sense of pride as the team I worked with were so adaptable and more than willing to help out where ever they could and, man, they defiantly gave their all knowing they were feeding the South Island in an unpredicatable crisis.

CNC: Has your family/bubble had any concerns?

LR: My family are the most amazing people I know. As I have two pregnant sister in laws and a 2 and a half year old nephew it was a pretty scary thought if they had come down with even just a run of the mill flu. But they had full confidence in me that I would do all the things I needed to do to keep them as well as myself safe.

CNC: How have you kept in contact with others outside your bubble?

LR: As my family are split up into five different bubbles the age of video chat has come in super handy. It made it feel less like we couldn’t see each other. Because of the closure of the borders a friend and I were meant to be heading to Bali in June. With that being on hold for the time being we have been doing the lockdown dreaming lol, coming up with plans for skiing and roadies around New Zealand! And I always try and keep the team updated with the newest of information regarding the [netball] season's go ahead, as we don’t train it's just on the waiting for the season's start date.

CNC: Have you had time to say fit and how have you included it in your day?

LR: I’ve been lucky enough to have been able to keep to mostly my 2020BC (Before Covid-19) routine which was a 5km walk each morning before work. I did however have a lock down goal of running the whole 5kms which I achieved this last week which was super exciting as I have been riddled with injuries for the last couple of years. I’ve also on the 'down' days done a couple of 'at home' workouts and again I’m lucky enough to have a bit more of a physically demanding job which helps with the keeping fit.

CNC: While you probably haven't had a lot of free time during lockdown, have you learnt anything new?

LR: I guess during lockdown as much as I wasn’t at home all the time I did still however learn a lot about myself when it comes to being under pressure and leading a team to meet targets (even if they were ‘just go for it and do your best’ kind of targets) again we as a team were the ones that worked together to get to the end of each day. On my days off though I would be a bit of baking so I learnt to appreciate the small things like that again.

CNC: What lessons we can we take from lockdown into our everyday lives beyong Level 3?

LR: I think a major lesson we can learn from lockdown is how easy it all can be taken away from us, how just a hug can actually speak so many more words without having said anything and how when we work together as a team we can achieve even the almost impossible tasks, Also that knowing how to bake, cook and growing your own veggies is actual just as essential as buying food just because its ‘saves time’ because its convenient.

CNC: How would you have described yourseld before COVID-19 and now?

LR: 2020BC (Before COVID), didn’t pay attention to a lot of the small things like health and a hug, a little ungrateful and unaware of how quickly things can change.

2020AC (After covid), definitley more grateful, adaptive, a bit more attentive.

CNC: What are you most looking forward to as we move into Level 2?

LR: Lots of things lol netball being one I’m hanging out for. Cant wait to hangout with my friends again. And we have soo many cool things happening within my family bubbles over the next few months that its going to great to get back to traveling the country again.

Thank you Lisa, what a great insight into life as an essential worker. Thank you for all you have done, and enjoy Level 2!

Article added: Saturday 16 May 2020