I knew who Sabrina Smith was before I actually met her. I have seen her often in passing during my husband’s basketball games at the Mildred Hunter Center. I’ve even seen her play basketball in the Mildred Hunter Center’s Women’s Basketball League, after hearing rave reviews from my husband about how good she is on the court.

I officially met Smith after I became the crime reporter for The Times. My job takes me to the Valdosta Police Department at least once a day, where I interact with several officers, including Smith.

I recently asked Smith if she would be interested in sharing her life story with me, and she quickly accepted the invitation. During our conversation, I got to learn about the many sides of Sabrina Smith, the school resource officer, pastor, basketball player, wife and mother.

Formerly Sabrina Walthour, Smith was raised in Statenville by her parents, Leon and Shirley Walthour. She has one brother and two sisters.

Smith said she appreciated her childhood because it made her the person she is now.

“My family struggled,” Smith said. “Although we weren’t dirt poor, we went through hard times. But the values my parents instilled in my siblings and me is the reason we turned out well.”

Smith, now 30, recalls several obstacles she faced growing up.

“When I was 6 months old, I was pronounced dead. Then at 14, I was molested.”

Smith refused to let these events hinder her from striving to be the best person she could be. Although she endured some adversity during her childhood, she also encountered two of the most important factors in her life during that time — her husband and basketball.

Smith met her husband, James Smith, in school. They started dating 15 years ago.

“One day he just came up to me and asked, ‘You gotta man?’ I said yes and he said, ‘You need to drop him.’ So I did, and we’ve been together ever since.”

Smith was also introduced to basketball at an early age.

“I am a basketball fanatic. There was one time in my life when playing basketball was like a second breath to me. I even slept with a basketball.”

Smith is a huge Michael Jordan fan, so she wore No. 23 when she played in high school.

“Basketball was not just a hobby for me; it was a way to get out of Statenville,” Smith said. “And when I wasn’t playing at school, I played at home. I was the only girl in my neighborhood, so the guys would let me play with them. To them, I owe much of my success in basketball.”