Chelsea Forkin’s talent on the diamond reach almost as far as her range playing centre field.
One of the rare ‘Jill of all trades’ in Australian sport, Chelsea has become only the second athlete to represent Australia at both the Softball and Baseball World Cups in the same year.
After finishing inside the top 10 at the 2016 ISF Women’s World Softball Championships in July this year, Chelsea’s selection for the Australian Emeralds is a credit to her commitment to the Emeralds program.
“I'm extremely humbled and honoured to get the call up to play with the Emeralds again,” Forkin said.
“It's been a long time since I've put this uniform on but the feeling of being apart of this group is something very special to me.”
Chelsea’s playing history is littered with team and individual honours, most notably representing Australia as a 15 year old at the inaugural Women’s Baseball World Cup in 2004, winning four National Softball Championships and receiving a Sport Achievement Award from the Australian Institute of Sport in 2011.
Couple those honours with signing a lucrative contract in one of softball’s premier competitions, America’s National Pro Fastpitch League, and Chelsea is building an impressive resume.
“I haven't found the change too challenging, it's been more about making adjustments between the two sports,” Forkin said of her transition between baseball and softball at the elite level.
"I have found that at the elite level, softball and baseball are very similar in terms of fundamental skill performance and the mental side of the game. So it's just been a matter of making adjustments for me, and I enjoy that challenge.”
Chelsea’s play so far at the Women’s Baseball World Cup has been fantastic, claiming four hits and three RBIs in pool play, and cementing herself as one of the Emeralds most damaging hitters.
Now at the pointy end of the competition, Chelsea and her teammates will have to step up again as Super Round play commences tomorrow, with the Emeralds taking on Canada at 8pm AEST.