Jacinta Windsor is named in the NSW Waratahs' final Super W squad

It's a rapid rise that has been assisted by her background as a star sprinter, but also through plenty of hard work and determination.

After finishing her second season playing Ferguson Cup for the Bathurst Bulldogs last September, one in which she further enhanced her reputation as a try scoring weapon, Windsor embarked on a mission to gain NSW Waratahs selection.

First there were trial matches, then there were eight weeks of round trips to Sydney and brutal training sessions.

"It was all very new to me, before those eight weeks with the training squad prior to Christmas we had trial matches and it was basically all the girls from the Jack Scott clubs, all their reps, then one of the coaches brought in a couple of the country girls," Windsor said.

"So I did those two trials, then I did pre-season. I just thought that this was such a cool opportunity, it's been just awesome.

"We'd train from about 5.15pm to 9pm all those days on things like fitness, different drills and gym work. So I would leave home at lunch time then get home at one o'clock in the morning, so it was a lot.

"It was a lot and on the body because it's a high standard they expect a lot fitness wise. A few times my car didn't appreciate me driving it that much either."

While Windsor pushed herself at those training sessions, being used on the wing in drills, she still wasn't sure if she'd done enough to make the cut for the final Super W squad.

She saw the quality of the players around her and was blown away. But at the same time, Waratahs selectors saw in Windsor raw talent, speed and potential.

It meant she got the Christmas present she wanted from Waratahs women's head coach Campbell Aitken. It was a call telling her she was part of his final squad.

"I was so shocked, Campbell was calling everyone but I didn't get mine until seven o'clock at night so I was so nervous, but it was also so exciting," Windsor said.

"It made it worth it because I'm based out in the country and most of the girls are from the city, I was going down Monday, Wednesday and every second Saturday to Daceyville.

"All the Super W girls, they are just incredible, so it feels, I don't know, kind of random that I am a part of it.

"I didn't know what to expect, I remember the first training session just thinking I hope I'll learn something. But it's been so amazing learning from the best.

"It's been crazy, but I just love it. Every time I go down there to train I get something out of it.

"It's been pretty wild."

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Windsor's selection meant her Christmas-New Year break was very different to what she had envisaged.

Given she's preparing to take on Australia's finest in 2023 there was no relaxing.

Still, the drive which has seen Windsor go from club player to state level in such a short time is still with her.

"We finished the Friday before Christmas and we were thinking we had this two-week break, but they actually gave us fitness and gym work to do to keep us fit," she said.

"It's definitely going to get more intense, but it's also exciting."

Windsor's journey is one that has given her self-belief and it's something she hopes more women in the Central West can experience for themselves.

She's living proof that people from different sporting backgrounds who live outside of the metropolitan region can reach higher levels of representation.

"There's a lot of support here, but to go and try and crack it down there, now I think that 'Wow, this is actually possible'," the 20-year-old said.

"I didn't even realise starting footy that it was an option. It shows that even for country girls, that is something you can purse, it doesn't matter it's down in the city, you can still get there.

"I thought I'd keep doing athletics, I thought that was my thing, it had been my whole life. But when I started playing footy it was like 'This is awesome' and I love that it's a team environment too.

"It's crazy, you can come from anywhere and chase your dream."

While Windsor returned to training on Monday and will continue to work towards a NSW debut, she's crossing her fingers she won't be the only Bathurst Bulldogs product to make a Super W debut in 2023.

She's hoping that Claudia McLaren can overcome an ankle injury and make the final cut for the Queensland Reds squad.

"It [injury] would stop most people but it won't stop Claudia, she will come back fighting," she said.

"She's a weapon, she's been one of my inspirations and role models. Even when I first went to Bulldogs I was like 'I want to be like Claudia'."

Windsor might want to be like McLaren, but given what she has done there's sure to be a few people that want to be like her too.

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