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Our Alumni & School Development Coordinator, Michael Wilson , recently had the opportunity to sit down with Claudia Nielsen (Class of 2015) and catch up on where life has taken her since her Calrossy days.

Claudia has certainly been busy. She is currently in her fourth year of a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Sydney , while also pursuing her passion for rugby league, playing with the Wests Tigers .

During their conversation, Claudia shared some of her favourite memories from Calrossy, the journey that has taken her from Tamworth to Sydney, and how she balances the demands of university study with elite-level sport.

We loved hearing Claudia’s story and learning more about the determination, opportunities and experiences that have shaped her path since graduating in 2015.

Michael Wilson
School Development Co-ordinator

A True Calrossy All-Rounder

At Calrossy, you embraced academics, agriculture and sport with equal enthusiasm. Looking back, what opportunities at school had the biggest influence on who you are today?

I’d put it down to the possibility and variety of the opportunities, rather than a single few! Calrossy embodied the philosophy that anyone could put their name down and have a crack if they wanted to – if you were keen and committed on something, it seemed you were always welcome.

For me, this inclusiveness allowed me to figure out the things I was interested in and to continue to develop at them. Through the agricultural program, I learnt how to work long hours, form networks in industry and how to be a young leader. Academically, I found mentors in the subjects I loved and doubled down on them - and in the subjects that felt like pulling teeth, I had friends and teachers to help me scrape by. And sport – well, I did it all because I could and why not? Touch football, Oztag, netball, field hockey, basketball, track and field, swimming, water polo and more… I would have thrown on the Calrossy sports kit at some stage in the season, despite a highly variable skill and talent in each. Throw into the mix other extracurriculars like school music, debating, the Lions Youth of the Year Quest and overseas sports tours; connecting to great things and great people was inevitable.

The biggest influence was the greenlight mentality of the programs available through school, where showing up was the only condition, and from that point there was resources to build momentum in the things I found a passion in. And for the others I wasn’t so great at… at least I had good people to do them with!

Country Roots and Big Dreams

Growing up in regional NSW often instils resilience and determination. How did your country upbringing and time at Calrossy shape your ambitions and give you the confidence to pursue opportunities beyond school?

Yep absolutely - I’m a strong believer that people from the country get to build these important qualities of resilience, toughness, determination and genuine gratitude, and carry them cross-contextually.

However, I also place a lot of weight on not just where I come from, but also the mentors I had towards the end of highschool that lit a spark of ambition in me. Local coaches and senior athletes demonstrated to me what it looks like to live by traits like discipline, consistency and humility when in the pursuit of peak performance. All being from a small town, we had like-minded values and big dreams we could chase together.

Being from the country instils these principles too – I had a mentor once say to me “it’s not a lack of resources but a lack of resourcefulness that will be the limiter to achievement.” Being from the country, I feel we learn to be resourceful and patient because of the repeated experience that many things may take longer, setbacks happen and yet if we can find that balance of adaptability and persistence, things will work out.

Competition in Your DNA

Whether it's on the sporting field, in the cattle yards or judging livestock, you've always embraced competition. Where do you think that drive comes from?

I honestly don’t know! I had two parents as teachers throughout high school though, so I figured out pretty early I had to play by the rules and there was no getting away with nonsense because they’ll inevitably find out.

There’s a trend in the world of running at the moment calling for female runners to “beat the boys.” It’s somewhat comical because Calrossy wasn’t co-ed until senior school for me (back in the old days…) but I often think back to training with the rep boys and how much this taught me. It’s not so much about beating them - even I’ll admit that’s not aways possible - it’s about staying in your lane but continuing to push the limits, together. It was the platform to being highly competitive to get the best effort out of each session without letting comparison drive the standards or outcome. More than being a gendered thing, I think it’s a nod to embracing challenge and the power of being surround by like-minded individuals.

Lessons from the Paddock and the Playing Field

Agriculture and sport may seem like different worlds, but both demand teamwork, discipline, and perseverance. What lessons have transferred between the paddock and the playing field?

As most people from rural areas know, there’s no fatigue like the fatigue of farm and agricultural work. The days are demanding with early mornings, consistently working on your feet often well beyond sunset which just gets later as daylight savings kicks in over the summer and colder as days get shorter in the winter. The Calrossy Ag program was special becomes we got to embody this work ethic and we were all so different and all brought different skills to the team, especially at cattle shows and sales. We also quickly learnt to take the emotion out of it when working with livestock – anger and frustration are so unhelpful, and cows don’t really care much for it… so there’s a lesson in being patient and adaptable. Easier said than done. When you’re drafting cattle that won’t go through the gate you need them to, you can either chase them around madly for another hour or stop and accept that you need to set the gates up in a better way or rethink your approach… Some days are just hard but there’s nothing to gain from dwelling on them. I think this set me up perfectly for lessons in sport – some trainings, games and seasons are difficult but there’s only wins to be had from perseverance, accepting mistakes and showing up regardless

Refusing to Be Defined by One Path

You've successfully pursued elite sport, academic excellence, and a career in agriculture. Was there a moment when you realised you didn't have to choose just one passion and could chase all three?

I don’t think there was ever one moment, it was more of a gradual deviance.

As I progressed through my degree, I wanted to show myself, and other female athletes and scholars I suppose too, that the pathway can be different and sport shouldn’t restrict your academic pursuits and vice versa. For me, I know elite sport is finite and so while it’s my current priority, I wanted to lay the foundations of servicing rural and remote communities as a veterinarian for my long-term career.  I’m very fortunate to have the most supportive people in my circles that have made this possible.

Of course, at times certain compromises are made – for example, study is often done in spare moments and I’m certainly not top of the class! And there’s nothing more internally jarring than turning up to team training after doing animal surgeries all day.  But there’s a lot of room to grow as both an athlete and veterinarian with the right support networks, developing good communication skills and holding onto a big-picture perspective. I haven’t made it yet but watch this space!

I hope that as more professional opportunities rise for women in sport, and time demand increases and more resources become available, there can still be processes and support in place for women to pursue parallel passions.

The Power of Community

Throughout your journey, community has clearly been important. What role has the Calrossy community played in your success, and why is maintaining those connections meaningful to you?

Community and connection is everything! The beauty of a smaller town community is that you get to know everyone whether you want to or not. This somewhat stretches the comfort zone but also facilitates some unexpected yet unreal friendships. Some of the most memorable times were driving out to the Calrossy Kamilaroi farm on the old ag bus or freezing at the hockey dugouts on a Monday night, psyching up to play a red-hot McCarthy squad.

From playing sport in Tamworth on the weekend, I always thought it was the coolest thing playing hockey alongside my teachers, who were gun athletes at the time – shout out to Jimmy Bartlet and Hannah Klassen! I can’t imagine many students outside of rural towns get to compete in local clubs with their teachers, and it was absolutely a source of inspiration and encouragement.

Beyond this I’ve had the chance to reconnect with many school mates, through veterinary studies or sporting feats, and it’s always a reminder of the good people I was lucky to be surrounded by growing up.

Coming Home for Red v Blue

Life is busy and alumni are spread all over Australia. What was it about the Red v Blue Reunion Weekend that made you want to come back and pull on the Old Girls jersey once again?

It’s the perfect setting to catch up with the legends I went to school with! We’ve dispersed far and wide and the Red v Blue weekend is a chance to gather back home, share stories and reminisce – as all old boys and old girls do! It’s also a great time to celebrate people who have serviced Calrossy sport and the community so well – people like Wendy Wheeldon and Mark Galleen. Absolute legends of the place.

It’s also great to appreciate the rise of women’s footy across all codes and a nod to how far these opportunities have grown. When I was in school, girls were only ever on the sidelines of Friday night footy, now they get to lace up the boots and perform out there too. Unreal.

One More Run with the Old Girls

What are you most looking forward to—seeing familiar faces, reliving old memories, enjoying the rivalry, or simply having the opportunity to play alongside your former teammates again?

All of the above! But mostly the yarns before and after the game with the people I grew up with that I rarely get to see. Some of my school mates doubled as my coaches (shoutout to Meg Lamph our superstar Year 12 hockey team coach!) and some I went on to play sport alongside beyond school, and there’s too many stories to share.

Giving Back to Inspire Others

You're generously gifting your West Tigers jersey to Calrossy as part of the Alumni Sporting Wall of Fame, alongside other alumni who have represented at the highest levels of their sport. Why was it important for you to give something so personal back to the School?

Jerseys, particularly in footy, are an interesting concept in that they’re never really “yours” but represent a number and part of a team whose role is passed on from player to player within a season or over the years.

Giving one of my Wests Tigers jerseys is special because it’s a token to the small part I played in the history of the women’s program wearing jersey #19 in my debut NRLW year. My Wests Tigers club number - #35 – stays etched with me forever but my time in the jersey is finite and continues through the next girl who steps up.

I see that as similar to school; as we progress through year-to-year others take our place in the system and embody the roles we leave on – whether that’s in leadership positions such as house, sports or school captains, as students of certain subjects or other integral parts that make up a place like Calrossy.

I hope that the jersey can hang as a reminder of contribution and the impacts that these spaces can have, even though they are by design finite and transitional, our actions can build towards leaving the jersey (and uniform) in a better place than we found it for the next to take it on.

Inspiring the Next Generation

Imagine a young student standing in front of the Alumni Sporting Wall of Fame and seeing your jersey hanging there. What message do you hope they take away about dreaming big, embracing opportunities, and believing in themselves?

I hope the message is one of persistency and consistent pursuit of the things in life that matter to you. NRLW wasn’t on my radar as a high school student from rural NSW, but what was in my line of sight was a yearning to do the things I love, learn off other people who do them well, and to continue to build towards deeper understanding and mastery. For me that was sport – field hockey, indoor hockey through to rugby union, rugby 7s and now rugby league – but for others this might be completely different and that’s equally great.  I think it also embeds the message that things take time and shortcuts don’t really exist. I’m 10+ years graduated and still have lengths to go in my athletic and veterinary career and personal development! Stay the course, celebrate yourself and celebrate others too.

More importantly, and it’s probably a bit abstract, but I hope the jersey reflects in students that who they are is already enough, and they don’t need any external achievements to be more than they already are. The most powerful thing I’ve learnt is that what we do is completely separate to who we are , and this is kind of unconditional esteem is so freeing because there’s nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Closing Question

When the final whistle blows on Red v Blue 2026 and you're standing with your Old Girls teammates, what do you hope everyone remembers about the weekend and why coming back to Calrossy mattered?

I hope more memories are built over the weekend – on but especially off the field! I’ve no doubt more connections are there to be made with old and new faces showing up, all made possible through some kind of connection to Calrossy. It matters because school is one of those foundational chapters to building early mateship! Some of my mates have done and continue to incredible things and there’s so much to catch up on the time between the classroom and now. Its funny how with the best friendships, the metaphorical paused button is pressed when we carry on with our lives beyond school and reunions, but the next time we meet, the conversation and relationship picks up exactly where we left it. (Click here to find out more about Red vs Blue)

Bonus Question:
If your Year 12 self could see you now—representing at elite levels, pursuing a career in agriculture and returning to give back to your school community—what do you think she would say?

I think she’d be shocked for words but there wouldn’t be anything that could get the smile of her face!

I would hope she’d also remind me to thank my parents, Bron and Geoff Nielsen, who were not only a massive part of the fabric of Calrossy for so long, but who have taught me so much and continue to support my journey in every possible way. I think she’d give them a big hug too!

A big thank you to Claudia for taking the time to reconnect with us and share her story. It is always inspiring to see where life takes our Calrossy alumni and to celebrate the many ways they continue to learn, grow and serve in their communities.

If you're a Calrossy alumnus and would like to share your journey, we'd love to hear from you. Whether you're just starting out, pursuing further study, building a career, or making a difference in your community, every story is worth telling. Get in touch with our Alumni team through the Alumni page on the Calrossy website, and let's continue celebrating the incredible people who make up our alumni community.