Mrs Nelson has played for her Wakatipu club "on and off" for more than 15 years and after playing in the New Zealand Masters Hockey Tournament in Palmerston North in March, she was selected for the over-50 national side. The 51-year-old was not big on words, but her actions speak loud and clear.
The majority of her long-standing hockey career has been played in Otago, for Otago age groups, Central Otago for 12 years and southern representative groups.
She has also found the time to bring up two now adult daughters and run a plumbing business with her husband Les.
New Zealand will send six sides to the tournament, an over-40 and over-50 women's side as well as men's squads for the 40, 45, 50 and 55 categories.
Competing at the tournament are Australia, South Africa, Singapore and the United States as well as a strong European representation.
The tournament will be played directly after the London Olympics from August 15-25 and will be held in Canterbury, Kent. It will also be the largest hockey event to be staged in England and is expected to feature some excellent hockey as many ex-international players will take part.
Mrs Nelson said training was mostly individual, but team members would travel to Auckland on June 30 for one last training camp before they arrive in Kent on August 11.
She will be joined by fellow Southerners Lynne Dickie, of Lumsden, and Vicki Rewcastle, of Dunedin, in the New Zealand over-50 squad.
