American Football and Aussie Rules – maybe not the most familiar sports for youngsters who grew up in Pembrokeshire.

But for Zoe John, a former Herbrandston resident who attended Milford Haven Secondary School and Pembrokeshire College, both have now brought about international recognition.

The 26-year-old readily admits she wasn’t into sport growing up and endured weight problems - but is now undertaking great work as an ambassador for Beat, the UK’s Eating Disorder Charity.

“Sports like netball and hockey just didn’t interest me,” she told Telegraph Sport.

“But I moved to Cardiff to go to University and in 2016, a friend of mine messaged me to say she was setting up a woman’s American Football team in Wales.

“I was in shape because I’d been powerlifting in the gym but didn’t really know anything about American Football. So I gave it a go and had a lot of fun.”

And when it came to deciding upon a position, Zoe used a pretty simple formula.

“I was asked if I would prefer to be catching the ball and running or just hitting people. I said I liked the sound of the latter so became a linebacker!”

She was soon playing in seven and nine-a-side tournaments with the Cardiff Valkyries, but after impressing in the 11-a-side UK Regional Championship in April, was called into the GB Lions training squad.

It means monthly training in Derby, with the aim of playing in the European Cup in June and further down the line, the World Championships.

But her ambitions don’t stop there, as last year she and an Australian teammate at the Valkyries helped form the Cardiff Panthers, the first ever Welsh Women’s Australian Rules Football side.

It wasn’t simple at first, with the depleted squad allowed to merge with Denmark in order to represent Wales in the Euro Cup in Bordeaux.

“We only met our teammates the night before our first game and matches were televised and everything. We managed to get a win and it was a crazy few days.”

But just over a year late, Zoe was captain as 13 Welsh girls travelled to Cork for the 2018 version of the event, and the squad showed a lot of promise in another enjoyable week.

“It was an historical event for us to compete as the first ever Welsh women’s squad,” said Zoe.

“Our results didn’t reflect the performances but now the trick is for us to play it more and more.

“It’s another hard game to understand but it’s slowly growing in Wales and the more matches we have together the better.”

Again, Zoe’s form has been rewarded and she is now training with the GB Swans - and will continue to commit to travelling for sessions with both elite squads while studying a PHD in Cardiff.

“I would love to be able to raise awareness of both these sports and get young girls and women motivated and inspired to try something new,” she said.

“And I want people to know it’s never too late to get started.”