Aged 11, we found I needed glasses. Then Mrs Hardacre decided her class was ready for hockey. The sporty (read cool) girls were already committed to netball and softball, so here was a game where I could have a go.

I've since played for six clubs, here, in Sydney, in Hong Kong and on tour in Albury and Bangkok, including two stints for the Australian National University.

Upon my return I found former teammates from half a lifetime ago. Some could play first grade, others, like me, could not. But they all love hockey, and they all give it a go, which is what team sports are all about. Plus they're great for fitness, because you're so busy trying to score or prevent goals, you don't even notice you've just run around for an hour and 20 minutes.

During my 20s, my hockey heroes were the Hockeyroos. Now they're my teammates. The very skilled Tanya Howitt has already played for 20 years, and hip injury permitting, hopes to play with her daughter one day. Marg McCaskie's daughter Kathleen is already a regular in the team, so it wouldn't be a first. Tanya, Margie, Ruth Gabbitas and another teammate, Karen Longmuir, all met their husbands through hockey. ''At our wedding our bridesmaid, best man, MC and person who did the reading were all from ANU hockey. All of us, bar our best man, are still playing hockey for ANU 14 years later,'' Karen says.

She sums up some of the joys of the game very nicely: ''You get to run around and hit things legally. You also get to yell a lot. Running around, hitting things and yelling are all great stress relievers.'' Currently recovering from cancer-related surgery, Karen returned this year after several months of chemo and regularly plays a full game on the forward line. She nominates our captain/coach Janette Marskell as her hockey hero. ''She taught me how to mark 'You should be close enough to smell 'em'.''

Marskell has been playing for 40 years, but points out that she has some decades to go to catch Tuggeranong player Marie Larson, who is still playing in her 70s.

Super-fit Jan Cleland has played for 30 years. She didn't meet her partner through hockey, ''but some of those fit young male hockey players look great!'' she says. ''Hopefully that will encourage young women to stay with it.'' Hear hear.

She also noted that the fitness training has improved my hockey game. I'm running 3.5km three times a week. That's the 10km race distance covered then! And the impact of the health kick on wedding dress fitting preparations? I've lost 6kg, and 10cm off my waist. Thank you bicycle, dog-walking, gym, more sensible diet and hockey.

Charlotte Harper will discuss her pre-wedding health kick and preparation for The Canberra Times Family Fun Run and Walk weekly. The official training program starts Saturday (sign up at www.canberratimesfunrun.com.au) and the race is on September 14.