She's inspired countless young softballers over the years so it came as little surprise when asked who their sporting idol is, Melody Jones and Phillipa Cracknell answered Stacey Porter.
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Two of the rising stars of Tamworth softball, the duo had the thrill of meeting their hero when she was awarded Life Membership of the Tamworth Softball Association late last year.
"She was so sweet," Jones said.
Both would love to one day emulate some of what she achieved but for now aren't really looking too far ahead.
They're just taking things as they come.
For Jones, that is, in the immediate, the State Under 18s Championships with the combined Tamworth/Newcastle team from May 3-5.
It will be the first of two state championships she will be involved in over the next couple of months.
Along with Cracknell, in July she'll go away with the Tamworth under 16s.
The pair are coming off one of the highlights of their journeys so far.
The Blacktown Junior International Challenge is one of the most prestigious junior tournaments around, regularly attracting international teams.
"It was brilliant," Cracknell said.
Playing against sides from Japan, as well as the best talent from around the state, both came away having learnt a lot and had a lot of fun.
"It was a really great experience," Jones added.
"It was really nice to see other countries there, and all the girls were really really nice."
They were invited to the trial on the back of their performances at the State Under 14s Championships, and were the only non-Sydney girls in their NSW Sliders side, and two of only five country-based players across the various NSW teams.
The only disappointing thing was the timing, being the weekend of the local Tamworth grand finals.
Jones was supposed to be playing in those, with her Hurricanes side taking on her mum, Nicole's, Savages.
She'd played when she was younger and had maintained an avid interest.
Taking it up in 2018, the now 14-year-old, who is in Year 9 at McCarthy, said she was hooked from her first game.
Initially playing with Savages, the third base and shortstop has played with Hurricanes for the last two seasons.
"It's pretty good, we like banter a lot," she said of playing against her mum.
The bragging rights are pretty even as far as titles go with Savages winning the most recent season and Hurricanes the season before.
Cracknell likewise followed family into the sport.
In her case it was older brother Alexander.
He started playing and so naturally she wanted to too.
"It looked quite a lot of fun," she said.
Starting off in tee-ball, it didn't take her long to catch the softball bug.
Also a representative basketballer and soccer player, she is a pitcher.
Initially "chucked" in there by her coach when she moved up to mod-ball she "had quite a lot of fun with it" and so has stuck with it.
Starting in Year 7 at Oxley this year, 2023 was a big year for Cracknell from a softball perspective.
Along with representative opportunities, including going away with the North West PSSA side, she was also part of the mighty Kootingal Public School team that reached the state knockout semi-finals.
