As a child Alex Blackwell had a dream she hardly dared to believe was possible: to become a professional cricket player.
Not because she wasn’t talented – she had potential very early on – but because she didn’t see a pathway to become one.
For a young Alex growing up in the 1980s and ’90s, women’s cricket at a high level existed, but it wasn’t a full-time job.
Fast-forward a couple decades and the 34-year-old is now one of Australia’s best cricketers and has been able to make a living from her chosen sport alone for several years.

In October, Blackwell became the fourth woman ever to play 250 games for Australia - a significant achievement in the batsman's already sparkling career.
It's a milestone, she told Sky Australia journalist Kalika Mehta, that she didn't imagine she'd achieve.
"I probably didn't believe I would be a professional cricketer but I dreamed I would be," she said in November.
"I thought it would be wonderful to be able to train in the sunshine during the day, go home, have a good night's rest and come back and do it again the next day."