It's just after 7.30am in Sydney and Australian defender Liz Ellis is making her way across the city to one of her coaching clinics.
The school holidays are on and Ellis has already seen more than 1200 kids in six days.
As a result her voice is croaky and she's
a little jaded. But a couple of hours with Ellis, no matter what her condition, would be enough to inspire anyone.
For this is the women who readily admits Silver Fern Irene van Dyk is the reason she gets out of bed every morning and who almost drops the phone in disbelief when asked what else her team are looking for against New Zealand - aside from a series win.
"To win," Ellis says.
"That's it. You can rabbit on about development and this and that ... But more than anything else I'd like to win."
So there it is.
Just when we thought the defender with the steel mind was on her way out having suffered an excruciating knee injury, up she pops more determined than ever.
The 33-year-old was named in the Australian side for this month's two-test series against the Silver Ferns - just nine months after she ruptured knee ligaments playing against New Zealand last October.
She will co-captain the side with shooter Sharelle McMahon, and is hopeful of starting in the first match on July 22.
"I'd love to start, it would complete my comeback in my own mind but if I get on court will be good enough for me.
"At some stage I'd like to be able to match up against Irene [van Dyk] again. She is an awesome athlete and I do feel quite privileged to have been able to play against her for so many years."
Ellis' recovery from knee surgery has been remarkable. She was carried off the court in Auckland in late October, operated on in November, on court for the Sydney Swifts in May and is now back in the national side.
She partially credits her speedy recovery to former Silver Fern captain Anna Rowberry who suffered a similar injury and advised her to stick to her rehabilitation exercises religiously.
"I took that advice and I got really stuck into them. So I sort-of feel like I have got her to thank."
The Australian team includes several changes to the one who were narrowly defeated by New Zealand in the Commonwealth Games final. With four players retiring, shooter Kristen Heinrich and defenders Ellis and Mo'onia Gerrard return while Laura von Bertouch is the new cap.
But the core remains the same and with five Sydney Swifts players in the side Ellis says it's more a case of "fine tuning" rather than gelling as a unit.
Ellis says the five-goal defeat in the Games final proves Australia's 25-goal hammering by the Ferns in October was a one-off rather than a huge slide in Australia's standards.
"New Zealand proved that they are beatable but in that game they showed they are able to produce just enough to win when they have to.
"They will probably agree with me in that the Commonwealth Games final was nowhere near the standard they produced in October last year. But it is so good for them that they cannot play at their best and still win big competitions."
While there was some talk leading up to the Games that the Australian team were not happy and a rift had emerged between some of the players and coach Norma Plummer, Ellis says she saw nothing to suggest that was the case.
"A lot of the girls in the team are really close friends and everything I got from them was they were so united because they thought they were under attack.
"They thought that Australian supporters and their opposition's supporters weren't giving them enough credit for what they were capable of doing. There is nothing like that feeling that everyone is against you to bring a team together."
In relation to the tough talking Plummer, Ellis says she is quite technical in her approach and expects a lot from her players.
"She is not afraid to give you a boot up the backside but, by the same token, you are able to fire one back at her and she doesn't get sulky.
"She is certainly someone who takes a bit of getting used to as a coach if you are not used to someone being so straightforward with you."
Aside from Irene van Dyk, Ellis believes New Zealand's strength is that they do not have an obvious weakness.
"You don't look at their team and think she is the weak link, they are really strong across the board. Temepara [George] runs that midcourt very well but she has people that are able to step up and go that level with her - players like Adine [Wilson] and Laura [Langman]".
With the world championships now a year away, the five-goal deficit has gone some way in putting Australia back on track.
As for whether Ellis envisages herself playing in the world championships? You bet.
"And beyond," she says.
"I have got no reason to stop playing ... I will stick around for as long as my body lets me."
But is the Aussie stickler softening in her old age?
Not only does she list Sir Edmund Hillary as one of her role models, she gained plenty of fans in New Zealand for complimenting New Zealand on their coverage of women's sport.
Softening? "Oh God no. There is no chance of that."
Liz Ellis
Position: GK, GD
Date of birth: January 17, 1973
Height: 1.83m
Caps: 105
Playing history: 1993-2006: Australian squad. Two world championship titles and two Commonwealth Games gold medals.
Two-test series
Silver Ferns v Australia
July 22, Brisbane
July 25, Sydney
Liz Ellis (R) says she will play as long as her body lets her. Michael Bradley / Getty Images
It's just after 7.30am in Sydney and Australian defender Liz Ellis is making her way across the city to one of her coaching clinics.
The school holidays are on and Ellis has already seen more than 1200 kids in six days.
As a result her voice is croaky and she's
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