Brothers Ipswich player Jessica Carey may be relatively new to rugby league, but she has already overcome a number of hurdles to play the game she loves.
Carey has faced her share of injury set-backs, including recovering from an ACL injury in 2018.
Earlier this year, Carey played as fullback for Brothers Ipswich in the first ever game of the inaugural BHP Premiership season, and recently took some time out to answer questions as part of the 'fast five' challenge.
Fast five with Jessica Carey
Football family - does anyone in your family play? Who and for which team? If not, did a friend sign you up?
My two older brothers played juniors through to senior and dad has always enjoyed supporting the game, so footy has been a part of our family since I was little. Being the first girl born into the family with older brothers, you naturally grow up wanting to do whatever they were doing. I was always down at the local footy club at training, I was there on game days supporting them and mucking around with them, which made me quite the little tom boy growing up.
My first game of league wasn’t until 2015, where I played for Waterford. A number of my touch football friends suggested that I give it a go and I have loved it ever since.
Favourite footy memory?
There have definitely been a number of memorable moments over the past couple of years, but if I had to choose one, it would be captaining the SEQ Women’s side at the QRL A Grade State Carnival in 2018. That year, we came away as the champions for that tournament, It was a great weekend, showcasing the growth of the women’s game and the talent from different regions across Queensland.
Fashion - what’s the most worn item in your wardrobe?
Comfort is my go-to. Currently, it’s my active wear. Otherwise weekends, I usually opt for my favourite pair of high-waisted jeans or shorts and a hoodie as we head into the colder months.
Fitness tips? Any favourite exercises / tips for staying motivated?
Routine and consistency - that's my biggest tip. I am big on routines as it helps with those occasional days I feel a bit sluggish. I naturally love high intensity interval training and have recently enjoyed focusing more on my strength. To stay motivated, my local gym has been great with providing daily workouts and programming that we can do from home, as well as tracking to enable us to hold ourselves accountable during this period. So I have been lucky in that sense as the workouts are varied and that keeps it interesting! Like most, my preference is to train in a group environment or with someone, as it definitely helps push me that little bit further. Plus, who doesn’t love a bit of competition?
Find out more - is there anything you are studying, reading, watching now that you are spending more time at home?
Working in HR has definitely kept me busy during the current environment, so I am still working full time, just from home. My household has tried to get a little creative over the past couple of months of isolation and started a Friday night ritual where we choose a different cuisine each week and put our cooking skills to the test. So far, so good.
I have recently finished watching “All American" series and have started re-watching the “Fast and Furious" movies.
Favourite footy photo