Rochelle Joyce has dedicated a large part of her life to netball in Armidale and her efforts haven’t gone unnoticed.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Joyce is part of the list of worthy local identities who will have the honour of participating in the Queen’s Baton Relay when it makes its way through Armidale in the lead up to the Commonwealth Games next year.
She was excited to hear the news and wasn’t sure she’d get past the first round.
“I didn't think I would get through when I did get nominated. I was excited when the first email came,” she said.
“For someone who loves sports, it is pretty cool when you're not necessarily an athlete yourself but you love it. There's other people I am sure are worthy of the nomination so it is a bit surreal I guess.
“I got nominated mainly for the work I had done with the playground up at ADNA but there was a string of other things that went into my profile.
“Being a life member of Armidale District Netball and the Northern Inland Academy of Sport and my services there.”
She first started coaching at 15 and it has led to incredible opportunities including an apprentice position for NSW’s Under 21 team for nationals.
It’s no secret Armidale has a massive amount of sports around town and Joyce is one of the many volunteers who make it happen.
“We are really fortunate in Armidale that we have a great core group of people that all want similar things,” she said.
“We have been lucky to retain a lot of our volunteers and create a bit of a culture where lots of people do give back.”