"I was 14,'' Catherine, now 19, recalls.

"It was through the roadshow that I was saw wheelchair basketball for the first time.''

Catherine contracted meningococcal when she was 14 months old. She lost both her legs from the calf muscles. She's grown up in a wheelchair.

She'd had an interest in sport and during the roadshow she was able to try wheelchair basketball for the first time.

"I had a go and I really enjoyed it,'' she said.

One of the officials with the roadshow put Catherine in contact with Terry Mason from Wingham - a pioneer of wheelchair sports in Australia. Terry works out of Saxby's Stadium at Taree coaching wheelchair basketball.

"So I joined Terry in his team in Taree. That's where I learnt to play,'' Catherine said.

Fast forward to 2015 and Catherine, from Coolongolook, is among the most promising wheelchair basketballers in the country.

She's just back from world women's under 25 championships held in China where she was a member of the Australian side. Australia finished with the silver medal, beaten by Great Britain in the final.

"We led 15-11 at halftime,'' Catherine said.

"But they got us in the second half.''

Great Britain went through the championship unbeaten.

She had a first taste of competition with a combined Taree-Coffs Harbour team at State championships. Here she attracted the attention of coaches and she linked with the Sydney University Flames. This required travel to Sydney, generally once a month for matches.

"But the travel doesn't bother me. I have to go to Sydney for medication, so I'm used to it,'' Catherine said.

In more recent times Catherine has been included in the NSW junior development team and this led to her selection in the Australian side to go to China.

"It was a great experience,'' she said of her trip to the world championships.

Now she's set her sights on one day gaining a berth in the Australian Gliders, the paralympic basketball team.

"That's my ambition,'' she said.

However, Catherine is still a regular at Saxby's Stadium, where she trains, still under Terry Mason's guidance.

Catherine's there most weekends for sessions.

Wheelchair basketballers play in positions judged on a points classification on their disability. Catherine's a four pointer, meaning she's usually a shooter or ball carrier. She admits it's a rough and tumble sport.

"It can get pretty wild,'' she smiles.

But basketball is more than a sport for her.

"Playing basketball has given me more confidence in myself for sure,'' she explained.

"And it gives me the opportunity to meet other people with disabilities.''

Catherine's in year 12 at the Great Lakes Campus at Tuncurry. Next year she hopes to head to university to study animation, hopefully in Sydney, where she'll also be able to continue her basketball career.

The sport has already taken her overseas with an Australian team once.

Catherine's determined that won't be her last trip with a national side.