Elyse Villani lives life a bit likes she plays cricket - fearless.
In the high pressure environment of international cricket, the Australian batter doesn't have time to do it any other way.
But the cricket pitch is not where Villani's impact is most profound, even if she has a huge role to play for her country ???in the final match of the women's Ashes at Manuka Oval on Tuesday night.
The unassuming role model is one of very few openly gay athletes representing Australia across any sport having come out publicly in 2015.
All she wants to do is be true to herself, and she hopes more follow suit after Australia voted overwhelmingly in favour of legalising same-sex marriage last week.
The "fantastic step forward for all Australians" even led to a selfie with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull when he visited the Australian women's team at training.
"I think it's hugely important for me personally [to be true to myself]," Villani said.
"Everyone makes their own personal decisions but for me, I've always felt very strongly about being true to myself and hopefully giving courage to others to do the same thing.
"Being an elite cricketer, there's already enough pressure in the environment around that I can't spend any extra energy hiding who I am, and I don't really want to do that anyway."
Cricket is a unique game in that individual results so often drive people, albeit people who share the same goal.
Within that, every player is a unique individual - a fact so often celebrated within the four walls of a change room at every level all over the country.
Villani has always felt accepted since bursting onto the scene in 2009, with her sheer determination to battle back to the international scene after being dropped taking the best part of five years another trait so greatly admired.
"My teammates are amazing people first and foremost, and they just happen to be great cricketers as well," Villani said.
"They're fantastic friends of mine and people that I hold really dearly to me. They're not just teammates, they're people that I'll be friends with after cricket life as well."
Villani's stylish short blonde hair makes her easy to pick out of a line-up and she won't be hard to spot under Manuka's famed diamonds in the sky on Tuesday night.
She'll be the one in the golden floppy, which has become somewhat of a signature for the Western Australian firebrand.
"I used to wear floppy hats growing up in junior cricket and the caps just never seemed to fit my head," Villani said.
"I think I can say thanks to mum for that, she's got quite a big head so I think I might have inherited that. I just love the golden floppy.
"I remember when they brought it out and George Bailey wore it, I was pretty keen to get hands on one. I absolutely love wearing it."
Australia turned in a lacklustre performance in the second Twenty20 to revive England's hopes of levelling the Ashes series' multi-format points system at eight-apiece.
Villani says winning the serious outright remains a "massive focus" with Australia desperate to avoid the hollow feeling of retaining the Ashes with a drawn series.
"I think the thing about Twenty20 is that it can be quite a fickle game. We know the quick turnaround is really important," Villani said.
"We've committed to coming to training and providing a lot of energy and really getting around each other and just making sure we bring that fearless brand of cricket we want to play into the game tomorrow."
WOMEN'S ASHES
November 21: Third Twenty20 - Australia v England at Manuka Oval, 7.10pm. Tickets from Ticketek.
