By Justin Schwarze
Clare Camac has written her name in the Australian basketball history books by reaching an unbelievable career milestone of 400 games at SEABL/NBL1 and WNBL level.
Camac, 38, began playing at the high-level when she was 16, embarking on a 22-year journey that has included a remarkable seven SEABL/NBL1 and WNBL championships.
She reached the number in a game against Frankston on April 24, but the achievement was recognised in an inspiring presentation in Dandenong’s first home game since on Saturday.
“It’s crazy; I haven’t sat back and really soaked it in because the emotion of what it’s taken to get here is a lot,” Camac admitted.
“There’s been a lot of sacrifices, there’s been a lot of hard work in the background so it’s hard to put into words.
“I got a bit emotional on the night as we got the win and with the girls I let it all out, but it’s a hard emotion to properly describe.”
She started her career at Kilsyth, playing there as a junior all the way through before breaking into the senior team and impressing at a young age.
While at the Cobras, she won her first SEABL (now NBL1 South) title in 2008.
Following that, Camac moved across to Dandenong in 2010 and played on the WNBL stage before moving back to Kilsyth in 2018.
However, 2018 proved to be a difficult year as she lost her mum Barb Gamble, an amazing influence on her life and her number-one supporter throughout her basketball journey.
“Losing mum in 2018 was tough, she was a really big driving force behind the career I’ve had,” Camac reflected.
“She’d been a massive part of my whole career as not only a coach and a parent, but also a mentor.
“I think after losing her I wanted to show her and myself that I can continue on with it and hopefully have her up there still really proud of me.”
And there’s absolutely no doubt she couldn’t be prouder.
After Camac had her first child, she once again reached the summit the following year in 2019 and eclipsed another title with Kilsyth, but this one felt extra special.
“The championship in 2019 with Kilsyth after I’d had my first baby stands out; it was a really big one,” Camac said.
“After losing mum, who was also a team manager for a lot of my senior basketball years, 2019 holds a pretty special place in my heart.”
But the winning hasn’t just brought her success on the court; it’s also helped her form relationships that will last a lifetime, even when the ball stops bouncing.
“All my championships are very special in their own right,” Camac noted.
“I still see the teammates that I had in those championship-winning teams; we’re still friends to this day.
“It’s so amazing to turn this stuff into lifelong relationships.”
While being one of the most decorated players in the competition’s history, Camac’s successes don’t just include her accomplishments on the court.
She has also ventured down other paths in the sport, including coaching and being an inspiring mentor from the sidelines for other young athletes.
She has coached junior basketball for over a decade, providing a brilliant voice to those that share the same passion.
A lot of those athletes have ascended while under Camac’s leadership, all the way to the point where they now share the court with her at NBL1 games.
“What was really special about it for me is I’ve probably coached about 80 percent of the team (Dandenong) through under-12s to under-16s,” she said proudly.
“One of the big reasons I still play the game today is not only because I love it, but it’s also to see these kids that I’ve mentored thrive.
“It was so special to have most of those girls there for the celebration and be there for that.
“It’s so great to have worked with them all through their junior careers and now they’ve been a big part of my career, which is really special.
“I had to have a giggle, because I’ve actually been playing at this level longer than most of my teammates have been alive.
“The club itself means a lot to me, so it was great.”
Even after maintaining stellar play at an elite level for so many years, Camac’s love for the game has never wavered.
For her, it’s all about what basketball has done for her in her life.
“My love for the game has never left me,” she said.
“I always said if I stopped loving it I wouldn’t do it, but to this day at 38 years old and with three kids I love it just as much now as I did day one.
“I always said as a little kid basketball was going to be what I did.
“It was one of the first things I said to mum when I realised I was half okay at the game, I said to her I was going to play WNBL and make a career out of this, which I’ve been very lucky to be able to do.
“The game has given me so much in terms of leadership.
“I now translate that into my full-time work and I think who I am now as a person in terms of being a great communicator, a leader and a mentor comes from basketball playing a massive role.
“What the game’s taught me through the highs and lows has certainly set me on a great path with my life after basketball.”
Camac is also a proud mother of three and one of her biggest motivations to keep pushing is to be a role model to her kids.
She wants to show them and other young people that hard work is the key to any success or dream.
“For my kids, I wanted to show that you’re not just defined by being a mum or working in your career, if you really want something you can achieve it,” she said.
“It’s hard work and it’s not going to be easy, but I’m hoping I’m setting them an example of if you really want something you can absolutely achieve it no matter what’s going on in your life.”
