RUNNING up to 5 kilometres every game while holding a hockey stick can be sweaty work for athlete Kylie O'Donohue.
But the effort put into weekly training sessions has now paid off for the Wellington Point woman.
The 35-year-old is set to represent Australia in the over-35 team, to play against New Zealand in the Trans Tasman Masters Challenge in May next year.
Ms O’Donohue was selected for the national team after she helped to bring the Queensland over-35 team to victory at the Australian Masters Hockey Championships in Hobart last month.
"I was in shock,” she said.
“The excitement settled in afterwards.”
After playing hockey for the past 23 years, since the age of 12, Ms O’Donohue said her selection to represent Australia had made her proud.
While training for the Australian team will begin in January, Ms O’Donohue said upcoming pre-season preparation for Brisbane fixtures would improve her stamina in time for the May championships.
"I am looking forward to training and to build up the level of fitness,” she said.
While a love of hockey is in the O’Donohue ‘DNA’, with her father, uncle and two daughters enjoying the game, Ms O’Donohue said training under the guidance of first division coaches had made the winning difference to her technical skills.
"For the last couple of years I have been playing first division and training intensively," she said.
This is the first time Ms O’Donohue has been selected to represent Australia.
The Trans Tasman Masters Challenge will take place next year in Whangarei, New Zealand.
