Young star to represent State in Cairns championships

Hannah Wall has been swinging a hockey stick since she was old enough to talk.

She followed in her mother’s footsteps and fell in love with the sport as she got older.

Now aged 12, she is representing her State in an Australia-wide competition.

Hannah is competing in the School Sport Australia 12-and- Under Hockey National Championships in Cairns this week.

The Living Waters Lutheran College student was chosen on the WA side after intense trials and made the journey to Queensland at the weekend.

Students from public and private schools compete at the School Sport Australia National Championships which are held for a number of nominated sports.

Hannah, a goalkeeper, said she had been training twice a week in the lead-up to the event.

“I am very excited to travel to a different part of Australia and play sport,” she said.

“I have only been playing goalie for a year but I really enjoy the position.

“It’s all about using your reflexes and staying flexible.

“Goalkeeping was a bit scary at first because a really hard and heavy ball was coming at me, but now I love it.”

When she is not busy representing her State, Hannah is a member of the Rockingham Redbacks Hockey Club.

“The team is great and I have a lot of friends who play hockey,” she said.

“Mum is still playing and I hope to keep playing myself for a really long time.”