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It's been seven months since Charlize Cattermole and her family made the move from Broken Hill to Bathurst in order to give the talented 16-year-old netballer a chance to take her game to another level.
Since the move the Bathurst High student hasn't taken long to be accepted to a number of upcoming overseas tours, and even had the chance to be a part of the school's thrilling Astley Cup ties with Orange and Dubbo.
Cattermole said it was a thrill to learn of her upcoming tour schedule.
"When I moved here, a couple of coaches recommended to me that I apply for a couple of things to try and gain more recognition. Back home you'd never really have the chance to prove yourself to the rest of the state and Australia," she said.
![Charlize Cattermole hopes to move from Broken Hill to Bathurst can further her netball career. Picture by James Arrow. Charlize Cattermole hopes to move from Broken Hill to Bathurst can further her netball career. Picture by James Arrow.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/YpbCWLfGAstDHC22gJwdbm/043874e9-574e-41e4-bdf0-6740f9760901.jpg/r0_158_5472_3648_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"We made some applications with NETFIT Netball and Wanderers Australia - two of the touring agencies. I got a couple of emails back saying that they'd love to have me and that they see me as a valuable player, which feels pretty good.
"I think mum might have been more excited than me when we heard the news," she laughed.
The NETFIT tour will see Cattermole be a part of a 20-person group who will travel to New Zealand for a week to receive coaching from Australian Diamond Sharon Layton and New Zealand Fern Laura Langman.
The Wanderers Australia tour will follow in 2025, and sees Cattermole jetting off for a tour of the United Kingdom.
"It'll be pretty much a massive training session at NETFIT. Every day you're doing training, getting coached from Ferns and Diamonds players," Cattermole said.
"I know every single year they do a challenge where you wake up at 2am and do a 25km run. That'll definitely be interesting. It's all about the connections you make and keeping in contact with each other afterwards to see how you're progressing."
As for the biggest difference between Broken Hill and Bathurst for Cattermole?
It's definitely the weather.
"It's been really good. It's a massive trip - 10 and a half hours from here back to home when we visit - and the weather's different here too. We have a bit of a love-hate relationship with that," she laughed.
"For sport though it's definitely better. Playing in around 18 degrees compared to 40-plus is great, and I think the community itself is really good as well. Everyone here has been really welcoming and everyone's willing to have a chat."
Cattermole has found a home at a club netball level with Superstars United, playing both for their colts and B grade reserve one side - the latter of which have booked their spot on grand final day.
"They're a really good club, and such a big club as well," she said.
"Back home we only had maybe four teams in a grade. Coming here we've got more than 60 teams across juniors, it's so massive. The competition's so good."
Cattermole has retained her place as part of the Far West Academy since her move to Bathurst, and will graduate from the program this year.
She'll see out her time with the Far West program in just a couple weeks' time at the Regional Academies of Sport Netball Challenge.
The challenge runs from September 23 to 25 at Port Macquarie.
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