But she was no stranger to playing competitive sport.

From the mid 70s into the late 80s, she represented NSW in both cricket and hockey. Judy not only played cricket at both a junior and senior level representing the State but she also represented Australia as a senior player.

In terms of hockey, her career took off as a senior player representing NSW for a decade from 1979 until 1989, during which time she held the title of captain (1986-1988) and assistant coach while continuing to play in her final year.

Then coaching became something she latched onto, resigning from her teaching position to take up the full time head coach position for the women's program with the newly formed NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) in 1995 which she held until the end of 2000.

From 2001 until 2004, Judy was the High Performance Manager of the Australian Institute of Sport and Women's Hockey Australia national squads program located in Perth.

She returned to Sydney in 2006 and took up the Emerging Talent Squad coach position with NSWIS.

"This position required me to travel throughout the State identifying and coaching young talent as well as assisting local coaches," Judy explained. "My role supported the work being done in the Regional Academy of Sport (RAS) programs."

She left NSWIS at the end of 2013 and in 2014 she met with the women's and men's hockey associations to discuss setting up a coaching program in Newcastle.

"With their support the Newcastle Futures Program was established, coaching emerging talent, and it continues to be my focus today," she said.

Judy is the guest speaker for the 2019 Gloucester Sports Awards being held at the Gloucester Soldiers Club on Saturday, May 11. During the event, which celebrates the sporting achievements of Gloucester resident, Judy will share her story and her passion for developing young sporting talent.

Among her many sporting achievements, Judy was the inaugural recipient of the Australian Sports Commission "Women in Sport' coaching scholarship, she was the Australian U18 coach (1994-1996 & 2000), was the 2020 Commonwealth Games women's team manager and has been the NSW coach from th national league level through to U16's.

In 2000, she was awarded the Australian Sports Medal in recognition of her contribution to hockey, was twice nominated as a finalist for 'Team Coach of the Year' for the Australian Coaching Council Coach Awards (1997&1998), was selected as a finalist for the NSW Annual Sports Federation Awards - Coach of the Year category in 1998, was awarded Hockey NSW Coach of the Year for 3 years (1996-1998) and was awarded NSW Coach of the Year from the NSW Sportswomen's Association in 1996.