AS a teenager, Valentine's Alexie Lambert relocated to Lambton High School so she "could walk to the pool each day".
Last week, the former Hunter Hurricanes player achieved a lifelong dream and made her debut for the Australian women's team.
Now, based in Sydney and tackling the 2023 national league season, the 20-year-old remains committed to wearing the green and gold once more.
"I still haven't been able to take in the feeling that I've debuted, it's a bit of a dream," Lambert told the Newcastle Herald.
"It's definitely worth it. Definitely worth all the travel back and forth from Newcastle. Definitely worth living here [Sydney] now. I honestly wouldn't change it for the world."
Lambert joined the Stingers for a Test against three-time reigning Olympic champions USA in Brisbane on January 19.
"It was amazing. The feeling I had in the line up, staring at the Aussie flag and with one of the little juniors from Queensland in front of us," she said.
"Looking down at the Aussie jacket and having the Aussie cap on, I'm getting tingles now even thinking about it. I couldn't believe it.
"Nothing will be as special as your debut because you only get one of them. And everyone there [in the team] had experienced that moment at some point and you feel so connected."
Lambert, born at Belmont, played her maiden Australian Water Polo League campaigns with the Hurricanes alongside US representative Rachel Fattal in 2018 and 2019.
They didn't quite cross paths for the recent international, however, Lambert did face off with one of her idols in American goalkeeper Ashleigh Johnson.
"To play against Ashleigh Johnson and shoot against Ashleigh Johnson was a dream come true, I was over the moon about that," she said.
"It definitely would have been a bit more special if Rachel Fattal was there for USA, but unfortunately she left Perth [after three previous Tests] and went back to the college where she's coaching."
Lambert, who now turns her focus to AWPL with Sydney University and impressing selectors ahead of next year's Olympics in Paris, recalls "always being at the pool".
"I moved to Lambton High School [year 8] just so I could walk to the pool each day," she said.
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