From a tough childhood grew resilience and understanding. This is Taylor Holcombe

Informed by her own struggles in life, including an unhappy experience with another employment provider while searching for a meaningful job, the 25-year-old knows only too well what many of her clients are going through.

"I never had a full-time job until coming to Best Employment," she told the Leader. "I was always doing bar work or packing shelves and stuff."

Linking with Best Employment three years ago had changed her lifestyle and her "perspective on life" a lot, Holcombe said. "And helping others is what I wanna do."

Holcombe secured the life-changing job through her former Dungowan Cowgirls teammate Sarah Taylor.

She has been at the club for seven years, and was part of the Cowgirls' 2022 grand final win over her former club, North Tamworth. She described Dungowan as "a good family club".

Holcombe's experience with her own family is more complicated.

The Wee Waa native's parents separated when she was young. Money was tight as her single mother raised three children.

When Holcombe was in year 6, her family moved to Tamworth.

"It was a bit tough," the Cowgirl said, adding that her mother "did everything she could to make sure" her kids got what they needed.

"And I look back on that and I took it all for granted when I was younger. I said, 'Mum, you can't help me'. But she did do a lot, now that I think back and I'm older."

Holcombe, who is single, left Tamworth High when she was 16 years old. She then held a number of causal jobs, including working at a bakery and IGA.

"Being linked with another provider, I didn't get that help that I needed when I was younger," she said.

Now Holcombe wants to "help give others the best opportunity they can get, to get them back into employment and get their feet on the ground".

Now this young woman, who was shaped by personal experiences, is helping to shape lives for the better.