FOR Mount Gambier born soccer star Jenna McCormick her dream of making the Tokyo Olympics came one step closer this week.
McCormick was named in the training squad for the upcoming Matildas games against Chile, with a match in Sydney on November 9 and another in Adelaide on November 12.
“It is great news for me and I am very excited,” McCormick said.
“It is nice to be rewarded with another opportunity and it is certainly very encouraging for me and exciting for me.”
However, McCormick said it was still one step at a time, taking each camp as it comes.
She said a fairytale would be a debut at Adelaide in front of family and friends, but the Sydney game is something she is also aiming for.
“I would take an opportunity to play in the first game in Sydney,” she said.
“All of my family will still be there for that one just in case I see any sort of minutes.
“Either one for me will be amazing.”
To reach the ultimate goal of the Olympics, McCormick said would be tough.
But she is clearly focused on the job at hand and keen to make her mark.
“To get a ticket to Tokyo – it does require a lot of work,” she said.
“It means taking every opportunity I have and making the most of them, making sure I do the right things and train well.
“I am 25 years old now and it has taken me that long to get my first training camp opportunity.
“Most people go through the young Matildas program or come into the environment a bit younger.
“For me it has taken a long time to hit what I think is my best form.”
That “best form” is a culmination of years of hard work, playing overseas and in the W League here in Australia.
McCormick said all of those experiences have helped her become the player she is today.
“Potentially my experiences over time have built up and allowed me to be more of a mature player,” she said.
“It has taken me around the globe and I have played with a lot of different players.
“I have learnt a lot of things and developed my game with each different team.
“I hit my best form last year with Brisbane – the calibre we had and the people I had around me allowed me to play a really strong game, which I think is where I learnt the most and was able to really shine.”
McCormick believes she is in career-best form at the moment and with that in mind said it was easy to focus on her end goal.
“It is easy to focus and make decisions in my life that may impact that end goal,” McCormick said.
“It is really easy to be focused when you have something so desirable in your mind you want to achieve.
“That just makes working hard all the more worth it.”
