Most sportspeople consider representing their country to be the ultimate honour, and so it was for Leading Seaman Lydia Kavoa, who was selected for Rugby Australia's women's team, the Wallaroos.
Playing as a forward, Leading Seaman Kavoa was awarded her first test cap on July 6 in the 64-5 defeat of Fiji.
Her rapid rise to national selection came off the back of receiving a milestone 10 caps for the ACT Brumbies in the 2024 Women's Rugby competition.
Leading Seaman Kavoa's journey into rugby began in the Navy, where a personal training instructor who, like others before, recognised her natural ability.
Before long she was playing for Navy Rugby Union, followed by club rugby and the Brumbies.
At the ADF Rugby Union Championships in 2016, then Able Seaman Kavoa won the Best Women's Player award.
Leading Seaman Kavoa, who is currently based in Canberra with the Navy Retention Team, has balanced her Navy career with her sporting career.
She has had a number of achievements during her time in the Navy, including being deployed on Operation Manitou in 2017-2018 on board HMAS Warramunga for nine months.
She is also a member of the 'Stay On Board - People First' Retention Team, providing a junior sailor's perspective to the campaign.
Navy has taken a keen interest in Leading Seaman Kavoa's rugby career, and she is an advocate for the benefits that sport brings to Navy members.
"It probably sounds like it would be too much to handle, but I really believe that sport makes a very important contribution to the morale and development of Navy people," she said.
"Having the opportunity to be a full-time member and play at an elite level is something I'm always so appreciative of, and I never take for granted.
"I've been very grateful to work for and with some good humans who understand and support my goals, and these are the people who have shown a positive light towards serving.
"Having an employer that supports both my sporting career as well as my professional development is not always guaranteed for female athletes, so it's one less thing I have to stress about."
From September 27 to October 13, Leading Seaman Kavoa will join the Wallaroos for the women's international rugby union group tournament, the 2024 WXV in South Africa.
