Determination and the sheer will to never say die are the reasons why Helenburgh's Sam Bremner will be pulling on the green and gold once again for the Jillaroos at the World Cup in the UK in just over a weeks time.
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And despite a whirlwind of events in her career - injuries battles and the birth of her two children - Bremner, 30, refuses to be held back, telling the Mercury she was as hungry as ever to represent her country and give it all she's got at the World Cup.
Bremner said making this World Cup squad was one of her biggest hurdles she has faced in her career, but she would not change a thing.
"I think it's been the most challenging [of all her World Cup appearances] to get to," she said.
"But in saying that, it always feels better when you've really tried to earn your spot and overcome obstacles that make you go through a bit of a journey to get where I am now.
"That's pretty much what I said to Brad Donald [Jillaroos coach] when he called me to tell me that I had been selected and that he had named me co-captain of the side as well.
"The Jillaroos coaching staff and players have stuck by me through that journey of injuries and children.
"The Jillaroos have always encouraged me to both have a family and to play footy and I feel like getting selected for the World Cup squad is a bit of a pat on the back," she said.
The Jillaroos have always encouraged me to both have a family and to play footy and I feel like getting selected for the World Cup squad is a bit of a pat on the back.
- Jillaroos co-captain Sam Bremner
She said she hopes her experiences playing rugby league will inspire the next generation of females to do the same although she added she still feels like a youngster herself.
"It's a funny feeling because I still feel young," she laughed.
"When I hang out with the girls and they're 20 and I'm almost 11 years older than them I don't feel like I'm the most experienced of people until we talk about memories like the last World Cup or football in general then I realise that I've been around for a little while.
"I think the dynamic of both experience and new blood is super important for how you play but for the Jillaroos jersey and for the new players to understand what it means to be a Jillaroo."
Read more: Ben Hunt re-signs with Dragons
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Jordan Warren
Illawarra Mercury sports journalist. Feel free to get in touch jordan.warren@austcommunitymedia.com.au.
Illawarra Mercury sports journalist. Feel free to get in touch jordan.warren@austcommunitymedia.com.au.
