Tess Palubiski

Young Achiever: Palubiski’s field of dreams

WHEN Tess Palubiski looks back on all she has achieved in hockey so far, she can pinpoint where her inspiration to succeed stems from. Her mum, Lynne. “Back in the day mum represented Victoria for hockey,” she said. “As a little girl I had a jersey with her number on my back and would run around the hockey ground with a little stick in my hand.” Taking to the field when she was nine, Palubiski
made her first state squad for the under-12 girls school sport team.

It was just the start of her representative opportunities, as she went on to continue to make Victorian squads for each age group. In 2019 she was selected as captain for the Australian national championships in Newcastle, picking up a bronze medal. After missing the 2020 season due to the pandemic, Palubiski returned for her biggest year on the field to date. The talented striker was the highest goal scorer for the under-18 Victorian women’s team last year, who claimed silver at the national championships in Tasmania. “We were still really happy with that given we couldn’t train competitively,” Palubiski said.

But perhaps most excitingly was her selection in the Australian Future Hockey Squad, aimed to be a 10 year pathway leading to the 2032 Olympic Games. “At this stage I’m really aiming to make the World
Cup team for Australia,” she said. Last year also saw her find a spot in the under-21 Victorian women’s state hockey team and Hockey Melbourne women’s development squad, all while completing year 12 as Wangaratta Cathedral College’s school captain. “Usually mum would pick me up from school at lunch time, I’d go to training at the State Netball and Hockey Centre, get home at around midnight to 1am and then get up for the bus the next morning for school,” she said. “I knew I needed an outlet and I have a goal and a dream, so I wanted to keep aspiring towards that. “I have such a great support network with my parents, brother and strength and conditioning coaches Rachel and Ken.”

alubiski has not only achieved highly in hockey, but also athletics, qualifying for state and national championships. “As a striker, speed and agility really help me,” she said. “It was really good to
experience a high level in both sports.” Palubiski is now relocating to study biomedical science at Melbourne University, with the move set to also benefit her as a member of Essendon’s Premier League
1 women’s team. “I’m excited to give hockey a real crack,” she said

Source – The Border Mail, 18.02.2022