Catriona Ralph has played hockey for Scotland on no fewer than 155 occasions.
But while she will argue that every one of those caps is special she will win her 156th against Ireland in Glasgow on Sunday she also believes that nothing compares to being part of the wider Team Scotland.
And the Scotland vice-captain has the memories to hold onto as she approaches her third Commonwealth Games, having been to Melbourne in 2006 and Delhi in 2010.
Not least, a breakfast shared with Britain’s greatest Olympian, Sir Chris Hoy.
“Mark, who is now my husband, represented Scotland at hockey in Melbourne as well, so for both of us to be at a Games together was great,” the 30- year-old recalls.
“By the time we both went to Delhi, we were married so it made it special to share those memories with him. You are away with hockey so often but I think the team element being part of Team Scotland makes you much more aware.
“When we get out to a Games and it’s a multi-sport event, we’re not just thinking about hockey and men’s hockey, but about how the swimmers and the boxers are doing. You just get behind everyone.
“One of my most prominent memories was when I went to Melbourne and I was one of the youngest in the squad. I went for breakfast one morning and Chris Hoy popped up next to me, getting his Rice Krispies!
“He said: ‘Good morning’ and I was blown away. To think he was also part of my own team was incredible. So that was pretty special.”
Ralph, who works as a physiotherapist at Glasgow’s Southern General Hospital, has been full-time along with her Scotland team-mates since April.
“There’s just more quality in what we’re doing and better rest and recovery. We’re able to fine tune things a bit better,” she explains.
“These last few months have been our main build-up.”
Enjoy the convenience of having The Sunday Post delivered as a digital ePaper straight to your smartphone, tablet or computer.
Subscribe for only £5.49 a month and enjoy all the benefits of the printed paper as a digital replica.
Subscribe