Cricket all rounder and world-class fast bowler, New Zealand born Nicola Browne now plays for the ACT Tradies Meteor.

New Zealand—Australia’s closest neighbours yet our fiercest rival on the sporting pitch. But for Nicola Browne, she has travelled across the Tasman from her homeland and now represents the nation’s capital for the ACT Tradies Meteors.

With a rich sporting history in New Zealand, Nicola played netball and soccer at a young age before transitioning full time to cricket which kickstarted her career in 1999 where she played for her homeland.

Four years later, she would begin her international career and go on to become a world class fast bowler and compete at the highest level of cricket until her retirement in 2011.

Her decision to retire came from constantly feeling tired and lethargic alongside a lack of motivation to train. But just two weeks after making the announcement, her retirement plans took an unexpected turn. A turn that would pinpoint the cause of the very reason she chose to leave the sport.

“I had a doctors appointment and was tested for coeliac disease, which came back positive,” she says.

“I never knew what it was, I had to read up on it and two weeks later, on a gluten-free diet, my whole life changed around.

“I had my energy again and a spark of my life came flooding back.”

An member of the autoimmune disease family, coeliac disease is where the immune system cannot process the gluten found in wheat, rye, barley and oats which can cause inflammation and damage to the bowel.

After the diagnosis Nicola considered coming out of retirement but says “the wheels were already in motion”.

Instead she focused on her career outside of cricket and began working in event management, her first job outside the sporting arena.

As she has progressed further into her career and become aware of her coeliac disease, Nicola has to be regimented and organised when it comes to eating because as an any coeliac sufferer knows all too well, the only treatment is a life-long gluten-free diet.

“I think in the last two years people have started to acknowledge it [coeliac disease] and label gluten-free foods while restaurants now have a very good awareness of it,” Nicola says.

“The number one thing, however, is to be prepared.”

Nicola Browne of ACT bats during the WT20 semi final match between NSW and ACT at Blacktown International Sportspark on February 5, 2014 in Sydney. Photo: Brett Hemmings/Getty Images.

Nicola is now always prepared for her coeliac disease, wherever she is. Although she admits that didn’t always heed the advice given to her when first diagnosed and remembers one such time all too well when former Wallabies Coach, Robbie Deans gave a speech before the 2009 Cricket World Cup.

“He said its not about the trophy, it is about the journey. And at that time I was in the height of my career and a little arrogant,” she says.

“I was like no it is about the trophy, that’s what I train for. I train because I want the trophy to be the best in the best team in the world. The journey that’s just working hard to achieve that.”

In hindsight, Nicola now realises what the former rugby union player was saying. But it wasn’t until after her retirement when standing on the boundary line in the middle of a road in the Cook Islands did she appreciate what cricket was about.

“I was looking at these girls and they were having a blast. They were laughing competing and it was awesome,” she says.

“I think I became too serious in the game and right there I realised what it [cricket] is about–this very environment where you can travel to places, play the game and become among the people.”

Following her coaching and playing stint in the Cook Islands last year, an offer came through from a former teammate, Kate Pulford, who also plays for the Meteors.

“It was just a Facebook message offering the opportunity to join the Meteors. I had a chat with Andrew Dawson (the Meteors Coach) and away we went,” says Nicola.

“And now this year we have another friend from New Zealand, Sara McGlashan coming over as well to join us.”

It seems our pacific neighbours are taking over Canberra and although Nicola laughs she certainly doesn’t deny it.

For now, Nicola is focused on the smaller aspects of her sporting career rather than the bigger picture and instead sets herself personal goals to achieve on the pitch.

Her passport still receives quite a workout as she continues to travel back and forth to New Zealand to fulfil her commitments with Hamilton City Council as a Host City Manager in preparation for next year’s International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup next year and the Federation International Football Association (FIFA) Under-20 World Cup.

Yet despite the 12-hour journey each way, Nicola is also looking towards her life after cricket.

“At this stage in my life, I do need to think about that because financially it is what it is and this is a great opportunity,” she says.

“There is no better time to focus on a career outside of sport particularly with the major sporting events that are about to take place in the world.”

Nicola Browne of the Meteors celebrates after dismissing Grace Harris of the Fire during the WT20 match between Queensland Fire and the ACT Meteors at The Gabba on December 22, 2013 in Brisbane. Photo: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

If Nicola sounds excited, she most definitely is especially when talking about her ambitions and networking opportunities that are set to take her all over the world, should she choose to follow the right path throughout her career both in Canberra and Hamilton.

“There are some businesses out there sponsoring major sporting events so that I can stay in the business of sport,” she says.

“Ideally I know it is going to be in the sporting industry and…on a global stage. That is just the intention that I set when I was a kid; but it will probably run through event management at this stage, which seems like a pretty good vehicle to allow that to happen.”

A very active ambassador for Coeliac NZ in New Zealand (she’s even shared a recipe below), Nicola is also am ambassador for World Class Waikato and also offers motivational speaking as part of her repertoire.

Although her diagnosis of coeliac disease put a pause on Nicola’s career for a few years this cricket loving, New Zealand native has come back with a vengeance with our very own trailblazing Meteors helping her to begin a new career here in Canberra.

Download ACT Tradies Meteor Nicola Browne’s recipe for gluten-free carrot cake.