More than 10 years of hard work and dedication on the hockey field has paid off for Jorgie Wright.
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The 18-year-old from Gunbower has been selected to represent Australia at an international tournament in January 2020.
Wright will play with the Australia Country Under-21 Women's team for a tour of Borneo.
"This is going to be the first time I've represented Australia," Wright said.
Wright was selected for the national team after an impressive performance with the Victorian Country Open Women's team at a regional competition in Shepparton earlier in the year where the squad finished with a bronze medal.
"They read out the team selection after the gold medal match," Wright said.
"When I heard my name I was so happy to have been given an opportunity to play on the Australian team.
"It was so exciting and I honestly couldn't believe that I had made the team."
Her success didn't come overnight, the dedicated defender has spent endless hours on the pitch during the past decade refining her skills.
However, taking up the game was no surprise, she was born into a family of dedicated hockey players.
"When my mum grew up she played hockey, so I guess I just followed in her footsteps," Wright said.
"After I first had a go, I loved its so much that I kept playing."
Most recently Wright played with the newly amalgamated North-West Lightning in the winter season of the Women's Vic League One, where the team finished as runners up after going down in the final to Melbourne University.
But now her focus is on performing at her peak ability in Borneo.
"I'm a little bit nervous as I want to make sure I play the best I can, no one wants to perform poorly in the green and gold," Wright said.
"I'm also very excited to play with a new bunch of girls."
Wright is doing plenty off the field to increase her ability with a tailored fitness program in addition to refining her general hockey skills as a defender.
Bendigo also has Lachlan Archibald and Ethan Anderson playing at the tournament in Borneo.
The duo are on the Australian Country Under-21 Men's team.
"We're good mates. I've played a lot of hockey with him over the years and it's good to be going across to Borneo with him," Anderson said.
In the lead-up to the trip to Borneo in January, Archibald and Anderson have also been doing everything they can to stay in top form for the competition.