When life delivers a loss so deep that it shakes the very ground beneath you, it’s easy to want to disappear. To give up. To retreat from the world. Many of us struggle with grief and almost never know how to handle it. How to continue with life knowing that a person you shared the world with is no longer around. How to continue putting your best foot forward with a gaping wound in your heart.
For Pam Landsman, the only way through was to keep going and to keep showing up.
This Mother’s Day, her story is not just one of maternal love, but one of resilience, healing, and the incredible strength that sports can bring to a grieving family.
Pam is the mother of South African cricketer Madison Landsman, a rising star who lost her father, Glen, to suicide, shortly after recovering from major shoulder surgery. It was a moment that could have broken any athlete, young or old, and any mother. But it didn’t. Together, they stood up, and they moved forward. One step, one match, one race at a time.
“I wanted to give up everything myself,” Pam recalls.
“I couldn’t work, couldn’t concentrate. I was ashamed… just numb. However – Madison, she kept going. And because she did, I did too.”
Pam Landsman, mother of South African cricketer, Madison Landsman
Madison’s transition from Easterns to the Lions came with the weight of grief and the challenge of proving herself in a new team where no one yet knew the heartbreak she carried. Despite limited opportunities, Madison delivered stellar performances, and to her mom, that first season with the Lions was nothing short of miraculous.
“She was phenomenal, and it’s heartbreaking Glen never got to see her go professional, he dreamed of this for her, and for women’s cricket. He would’ve been so proud.”
Madison, one of three Emerging Athlete of the Year finalists at the 2023 gsport Awards, wasn’t only conquering cricket. Amidst her personal storm, she completed her first-year law degree at UJ with an 80% average, testament to her unwavering commitment and inner strength.
Every match, Pam is there. Loud and proud, cheering Madison on with her signature ‘WhoooHooo!’ from the stands. “It helps me more than it helps her,” she laughs. “Even with a broken heart, I love watching her play. I’m her biggest fan.”
Her support crew isn’t just family, Pam’s friends have become an extension of her cheer squad. “They’ve shown up for us in ways they’ll never fully understand. They bring joy back into our lives when it felt like joy was gone.”
Glen’s love for cricket was a powerful thread in the Landsman family. He built cricket nets in their backyard, twice, even after a hip replacement. He believed in Madison’s talent, shared gsport posts religiously, and never missed a match. Now, even in his absence, the cricket stays on in their home. It’s a way to feel him near.
“I leave the cricket on, because it feels like a piece of him,” Pam adds.
After Glen’s passing, Madison started running. Regaining fitness post-injury, she began running as a form of healing. That journey inspired Pam too.
“We started walking together, then entering races. I’ve done several 5kms and even a 10km. This weekend I’m doing the Oxpecker, 20km Saturday, 15km Sunday. Can you believe it?”
Their fitness journey is now a family affair, with younger daughter Tatum joining too.
Pam is clear-eyed and compassionate when it comes to mental health. “Depression and anxiety are not weaknesses, they’re diseases. In sport, we need regular access to psychologists. The pressure is immense, and if someone isn’t performing, don’t judge, ask, support, be there.”
As a mom, she’s committed to keeping the conversation open. “We talk about everything. My girls knew about Glen’s condition from early on. Don’t push it under the carpet, be present.”
Pam never played sports herself. “I always wanted to play netball, but I was too nervous and afraid of rejection.” That fear was something she refused to pass on. “With my girls, I always said: Try it! If you hate it, that’s okay. Madison hated ballet, she begged me not to go back! When it came to cricket, she was hooked.”
“I think I know more about cricket than most moms. I love being a sports mom.”
Pam’s message this Mother’s Day is of hope:
“Life, like sport, has wins and losses, highs and lows, tears and triumphs. But it can be so amazing. Depression lies to you, it tells you you’re alone. But you’re not. You are so deeply loved. Whether you win or lose.”
In honouring her husband’s legacy and championing her daughters’ dreams, Pam shows us the extraordinary power of love, in all its messy, magnificent, heart-healing glory.
With every step she takes, whether cheering from the sidelines or running alongside her girls, she’s proving that even after the darkest night, a new day will come.
Happy Mother’s Day to the moms who never stop showing up.
Main Photo Caption: Through heartbreak and healing, Pam Landsman has stood tall beside her daughter Madison: a cricket star, law student, and survivor. This #MothersDay we shine the light on their incredible journey of courage, grief, and resilience through the love of sport. All Photos: Supplied
Photo 2 Caption: On mental health: “The pressure is immense, and if someone isn’t performing, don’t judge, ask, support, be there.”
Photo 3 Caption: Pam’s friends: “They’ve shown up for us in ways they’ll never understand. They bring joy into our lives when it felt like joy was gone.”
Photo 4 Caption: Pam — “With my girls, I always said: ‘Try it! If you hate it, that’s okay!’ Madison hated ballet, she begged me not to go back … When it came to cricket, she was hooked!”
