Belle Ramshaw goes from Collie and South West Academy of Sport to WAIS Hockey Program and the Jillaroos

With under a month to go before the 2022 Hockey Australia U21 Championships, Collie hockey star, Belle Ramshaw will be looking to put her best foot forward as the Jillaroos squad is cut down to a final team following the week of competition.

After being selected in the Jillaroos squad in March for the first time, Belle said she could not believe the news that she had been chosen amongst 21 of Australia’s best under-age hockey players.

“My heart might have skipped a beat when I found out!”

“A smile was on my face for hours following the news of my selection. It’s just given me more hunger and drive to excel now that I’m there.”

With Hockey WA’s Premier League well under way, Belle’s focus has been on building towards a finals campaign with her UWA club team, who she has represented for the last two seasons.

“I want to make finals with UWA and really put everything out there these next couple of weeks so I’ve had the best preparation leading into U/21’s in July.”

Originally from regional WA, Collie, Belle reminisced about her childhood and hockey pathway that situated 200km south of Perth.

“I feel very privileged to have grown up in Collie. I had lots of support with my hockey through the history of the people around me that played, like my grandma.

“My grandma was in the Australian team and was meant to go to the Moscow Summer Olympics in 1980, however after the United States boycotted the games due to the Soviet-Afghan War, so did Australia. So, she never got to go.

“Her story has definitely been something that has driven my desire to exceed in the sport.”

After making the move to Perth to finish year eleven and twelve and be closer to training, Ramshaw also graduated from the South West Academy of Sport to the WAIS Hockey Program

“The SWAS was such a big support of mine while I was in Collie, it helped me to build sporting networks and really helped me on my journey to get to where I am now.

“Since moving to Perth and joining WAIS, I have been helped in so many aspects both on and off the pitch and have amazing technical support with training.”

With a big few months ahead her goals for the year remain simple to compete in the Under 21 National Championships and solidify her spot in the Jilaroos.