Kellie Piltz is no stranger to the sporting representative stage, but soon that will be taken to a whole new level.
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Piltz, who hails from Leeton, will step out for Australia at the 2024 Touch Football World Cup in England in July.
At 42-years-old, Piltz has been selected to represent with the Australian Women's 35s team after passing nomination and selection hurdles.
Piltz discovered a love of touch football as a teenager in Leeton, playing with both the Leeton and Griffith Touch Associations.
She has been playing the sport for close to three decades and has represented with a swathe of teams, including Queensland State of Origin, South QLD Sharks, West South West Suns and many more.
Alongside these achievements, Piltz is also a talented basketball and netball player having played State League basketball with the Griffith Demons and winning multiple best and fairest awards with the Leeton-Whitton Crows, as well as Riverina League medals.
In 2012 she stopped playing representative touch to have her first daughter and a second daughter soon after.
"I had a brief return to social touch, but completely stopped playing from 2016 when my girls were little," Piltz said.
"In 2022 I made a return straight into representative touch when some amazing friends encouraged me to return.
"Winning National Touch League, QLD State Cup and representing QLD in the State of Origin in my comeback year."
Proving sporting dreams can be a reality for all, the selection with the Australian Women's 35s team is an impressive one.
Piltz recently got together with the team for a training camp ahead of the World Cup.
"We do our own training and fitness as well as players are from all over the country," she said.
"There's only one other camp together in June and then we leave in July. I was so excited (when I was selected).
"There's actually six of us in the side that are eligible to play in the 40s side, but we're actually playing 35s.
"So we're playing down an age division to compete, so that's a pretty good achievement too."
Piltz now lives in Queensland where she lives and works with her family. She is also a volunteer netball and representative touch coach for under 10s, with her children enjoying both sports.
Touch Football Australia will have 13 teams take part in the competition, held in Nottingham in England from July 15 to 21.
Returning to the world stage after a five-year hiatus, the Aussie Emus will be looking to defend and retain their Opens and Masters World Champion titles won in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2019.
Ninety-one debutants will wear the green and gold for the first time, as well as seven coaching staff debutants, in the sport's pinnacle international event.
Piltz was expecting tough competition across the board.
"There are eight countries in our division," she said.
"We will be playing every day and then hopefully the finals."
The competition will be the largest touch football World Cup to date, with team numbers increasing by 72 per cent since Malaysia.
Piltz said being able to wear the green and gold and represent Australia was a dream come true.
She said touch football was a sport she would long enjoy and share with her family.
"It's a sport you can play for a long time," Piltz said.
"I'm 42, but it's the friendships, the fun. It's not as tough on your body as some other sports.
"You get to keep fit and meet so many people. My kids are getting into it, they are playing rep now, so there's a real community feel to it."
