‘I'M GRATEFUL TO BE ME'

Ruben Kruger’s widow, Lize, has found new love and made a life for herself and her girls in America

- JANA VAN DER MERWE

IT’S a sunny morning in Bradenton, Florida, and the woman on the other side of the screen looks fresh and vibrant – a far cry from the grieving young woman who held her daughters in her arms as she buried the love of her life.

It’s been 10 years since Lize Kruger’s husband, legendary Springbok flank Ruben Kruger, lost his long battle with brain cancer at the age of just 39.

Life hasn’t been easy over the past decade. Her daughters, Zoë and Bella, were just seven and four respectively when their dad died and becoming a single mom while grappling with her grief was tough.

But time is a healer – and for Lize, the pieces of the shattered puzzle of life have slowly started to knit. She is now settled in America after moving there so the girls, both talented tennis players, could pursue their dreams of making the big league.

Both kids are doing well – Zoë (18) is now based at a prominent academy in Barcelona, Spain, while Bella (15) is at the prestigious IMG Academy in Bradenton.

Lize (50) also has a new man in her life, a South African who lives in Pretoria where she still has a home, and she sees him as often as possible.

“I think with any situation, any trauma, you can choose to get stuck in it or you can choose to grow, no matter how hard it may be,” she says.

“For my children’s sake, I couldn’t get stuck in the past. I couldn’t keep carrying the pain and telling them how hard it is. So looking at myself now, I’m grateful to be the person I am.”