Jacky Hudson could well be any other retiree in the Port Stephens region.
Lawn bowls, new friends and a life by the sea.
But this weekend the 75-year-old departs for Glasgow, and not on holidays.
Hudson will represent Australia at the Commonwealth Games, which gets underway on July 23, part of the Jackaroos squad and competing in the vision-impaired mixed pairs.
The sporting latecomer, who can't see the other end of the rink when she plays, may even send home medals, rather than postcards, to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
"It's all these different feelings," Hudson told the Newcastle Herald.
"Still a bit unbelievable and it will probably hit more once I'm actually there.
"Obviously excited, but trying to keep that level down because you don't want to get too hypo.
"Just really proud. I never thought I'd be going to a Commonwealth Games, most people I've known forever would never have thought that either.
"But it's been nice getting calls saying 'good luck' and 'we're really proud of you'.
"It hasn't come completely out of the blue, I've had to work really hard the last few years to even get here.
"And it's disappointing for those who miss out, but I'm lucky enough to have been chosen to go."
Hudson was born and raised in Papua New Guinea, attended boarding school in Sydney, spending time in Wollongong and later Taree alongside police officer husband Robert.
But in retirement around 15 years ago the couple landed at former holiday destination Fingal Bay and, almost by accident, Hudson's been on the greens for the best part of the last decade.
"I just sort of fell into it," she said.
"My husband played social bowls and I never thought I could play any sport really, just what I was forced into doing at boarding school.
"We've been here [the bay] 15 years now and I've been playing for about 10 years.
"There was another lady, a very good golfer, who had a stroke and it affected her peripheral vision.
"Someone said to us 'why don't you come up and have a try'. Had a couple of lessons and got thrown into the deep end.
"It was just something fun to do and a way to meet people.
"When you're younger your friends mainly come through work or kids sport or stuff like that, but when you retire or end up somewhere new they don't come knocking at your door.
"You've got to put yourself out there and it's the best thing I did."
The green and gold selection followed much later for Hudson, called up by lawn bowls royalty in the wake of an Australian Open campaign around 2022.
"We were travelling in the caravan, up at Cape York, and I got a call from one Karen Murphy," Hudson said.
"She asked 'would you like to trial for Australia' and I almost dropped the phone. I was like 'yes please'."
The following year Hudson combined forces with playing partner Jake Fehlberg, half her age and from Queensland town Bundaberg, claiming a World Championships title.
Soldiers Point Bowling Club has become her sporting base more recently, as of around Christmas, a hop, skip and jump from home by car but taking around an hour to travel by bus.
Warren Shipley has been on the ground coaching wise, working on "delivery and other little things that need tweaking a bit", while earlier this week via email Murphy declared her "right to go".
Hudson - who has three children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, with another now on the way - may not be the only family member on the world's sporting stage this year.
Late son Stephen Laybutt, who died in 2024, previously represented Australia at the Sydney Olympics while grandson Zac Laybutt plays NRL for the North Queensland Cowboys.
Zac is eyeing off rugby league with PNG later in 2026, Hudson saying "that would be pretty cool to have a Commonwealth Games and World Cup in the same year."
Vision wise Hudson and her sister were both born with cone-rod dystrophy.
She says "you don't miss what you've never had" and "we've built up a lot of resilience".
In terms of bowls: "I can't see the other end of the rink when I'm playing and I'm totally colour blind."
Hudson's able to use a monoculars to assist in between deliveries, but not when actually stepping up to the mat.
Instead she's able to talk to a director or teammate alongside her on the green about where bowls are located, sometimes even having someone stand near the jack.
A lot of it essentially comes down to "feel", which she says is "how sighted people play too."
A staging camp, including Tests against other nations, awaits the Jackaroos in Northern Ireland's Belfast from Monday before they relocate to the 2026 host city.
Lawn bowls will take place indoors at the Scottish Event Campus Centre, located on the River Clyde and next door to Glasgow's famed Armadillo.
An exact draw has yet to be officially released, but the lawn bowls schedule runs from July 24 to the last day of competition on August 2.
