Jocelyn's joy: Border hockey star gets nod for first Olympics

Bartram was named as goalkeeper in the 16-player Hockeyroos squad for the 2024 Paris Olympics, which was officially announced on Monday, July 1.

The 31-year-old was overlooked for the Tokyo Games in 2021 due to the squad only accommodating one goalkeeper.

"It was a very different feeling opening up the email and seeing my name on the team list," she said.

"It was a mix of relief for all the hard work you've put in, but also pure excitement about the opportunity of getting to play with an amazing group of girls on the world's biggest stage for hockey.

"You always get feedback after a non-selection and I've really applied myself to work really hard on the areas that the coaches thought I needed to and really tried to get a consistent game out on the pitch so that I become a reliable goalkeeper for the team.

"I've always prided myself on being a hard worker. I've turned up every day and tried to get a little bit better and it has led me here today, which is an amazing result."

Despite being the Hockeyroos' preferred goalkeeper since the Tokyo Games, Bartram said she could never be certain of Olympic selection.

"Sport is a funny thing and injuries can strike at the most inopportune times as well. We have really good goalkeeping depth in Australia, not only in the program, but coming through the ranks as well, so that just kept driving me to never back off," she said.

"I wanted to make sure I kept working hard and kept improving so they would see me as the right option for the team in Paris.

"The Olympics is definitely viewed as the pinnacle in our sport. It's such an amazing celebration of sport.

"Coming from Australia, we're such a sport-happy country and we love to get behind our Olympic teams. I have so many memories of watching the Olympics growing up and watching the hockey in Sydney (in 2000) live with my family.

"To now be on a team is that little bit more special and that little thing you hope to achieve in your career feels incredible - to be able to call myself an Olympian at our first game in Paris."

Bartram, a former member of Wombats Hockey Club on the Border, joins Corowa's Stephen Mowlam as the second Hockey Albury-Wodonga junior to become an Olympian.

Mowlam, also a goalkeeper, won gold with the Kookaburras at the 2004 Athens Games.

"I'm joining small company coming from Hockey Albury-Wodonga and even smaller company in goalkeeping. To be an Olympian alongside Steve Mowlam is an amazing feeling," she said.

"I'm so proud to have come from Hockey Albury-Wodonga and proud of all the people who have helped me along the way when I was super young playing in a senior team.

"Lots of people took a chance on me during a really important time in my development and I'll be forever grateful for that."

Bartram, based in Perth, was informed she would be in the squad on Friday, June 29, and planned a surprise trip to Broome to share the news with her parents.

"That was an incredible moment to surprise them and spend the weekend up there with them celebrating," she said.

"Calling my brother and hearing his excitement through the phone was another amazing moment and to share it with the rest of my family and friends now is such an incredible thing to be able to do.

"For me, it won't all feel completely real until we're in the village and on the field competing as a team.

"As a group, we've come together really well. We've taken moments to celebrate, but we've also trained really hard since finding out and we'll continue to train hard as a squad leading into Paris."

Bartram made her 100^th appearance for the Hockeyroos in April and will aim to deliver the side its first Olympic medal since it won gold at Sydney 2000.

Australia enters the tournament as the fifth-ranked nation in the world.