Fiji women's football international Trina Davis is happy to be home after escaping Israel during the recent conflict in Gaza.
Trina Davis is the first Fijian woman to sign a professional football contract. Photo: Supplied/ Moshikoshri
The 19 year-old became the first Fijian woman to sign a professional deal after joining ASA Tel Aviv University Soccer Club in March.
Davis only scored one goal during her two and a half months with the team but felt she improved throughout the season as she got to know her team-mates.
"I was creating more chances and opportunities. I had a few more assists and then just the way I was connecting well with the players was I think better," she said from the comfort of her family home, 45 minutes out of Seattle.
"I know it was going to take a couple of games but it was good towards the end we were really ready to play on Thursday (two weeks ago) but then it ended on that Tuesday, but they actually did have a game yesterday (on Sunday after the cease-fire)."
Trina Davis on the ball for ASA Tel Aviv University SC. Photo: Supplied/ Moshikoshri
The Israeli Women's Premier League was put on hold two weeks ago after fighting broke out between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants.
Davis said her team had just finished a training session on the Tuesday night when rockets started flying overhead.
"We had practice til 8:30 and it came at 9 but we were still at the field when everything was kind of starting...at first my team-mates told me, 'don't worry, the missiles never reach Tel Aviv. The sirens will come on but (it's ok).'
"Then right when the sirens turned on we saw them in the air and some of them started crying and I was like, 'oh so this is like real - it's never been like this?' and they were like, 'no', so that's when I kinda got really scared."
The US born striker tried to book a flight home to America later that week only for it to be cancelled on three occasions, while the US Embassy said it was unable to help her because it did not deem the situation to be an emergency.
Her parents finally managed to book a flight with Israeli carrier El Al and, at her mother's instruction, Davis took a rapid four-hour test for Covid-19 and headed to the airport last Monday.
"My flight wasn't until 2am (on Tuesday) so I was there for a while but I still didn't feel like I was actually leaving until I was up in the air. Not even in New York - I still felt like I could somehow not go home - so I didn't really feel like I was home yet until I got into Seattle Airport," she recalled.
"I cried at the airport. They all - my dad, my mum, my sister and my boyfriend - came and picked me up so it was super nice."
Davis was one of four US citizens in the ASA Tel Aviv squad when she arrived in Israel but was the only one left by the time the conflict erupted in Gaza.
Trina Davis is grateful to be back with her loved ones in the US. Photo: Supplied/Trina Davis
Her team-mates were no strangers to international conflict and did their best to support Davis during a scary and emotional week.
"Just because I've never experienced nothing like that and the sirens like that I think it was definitely a life-changing experience," she said.
"They definitely were making sure I was ok, figuring out what I was going to do and telling me to come with them. I was actually really happy - they told me more about the Iron Dome and stuff while this was going on and keeping me calm so it was good, I think I needed that."
A cease-fire between Israel and Hamas took effect at 2am on Friday local time, exactly three days after Davis departed for the US.
The Fiji frontwoman was disappointed not to be able to finish off the season with her team-mates and felt a strong case of FOMO as the team returned to action with a 1-0 defeat by league leaders FC Kiryat Gat Soccer Club on Sunday.
Trina Davis made her international debut for Fiji in 2018. Photo: Avikash Chand / OFC Media
But the former Marysville Pilchuck High School student was grateful for her first taste of professional football.
"It was a good starting point. I mean it wasn't the stats I wanted - obviously I wanted to score more and have more assists, but it was good just being my first game back from after my injury and after everything.
"It showed my work definitely paid off because when I was playing my knee didn't hurt at all, so I worked really hard to be where I'm at right now and I can only get better."
For now, Davis is enjoying the comforts of the home and spending time with her friends and family.
She is a free agent once again and said she had a few options as to what her next step in football will be, but won't be rushing into any decisions just yet.
