As I watched the huge smile light up his face when picking up that rather over-sized Qantas boarding pass, I couldn’t help but reflect on the journey that got us here.

As a rugby player, this journey has certainly been the road less travelled by. With rugby sevens making its debut at the Rio Olympics, Jesse and his team-mates will be making history when they take the field to play France on August 9.

So, what it’s like to be married to an Olympian and Aussie 7s player? Where do I start?

Jesse and I have been together for five years and married for almost a year. As most relationships go, the past five years have not been a walk in the park. In fact, when you marry a professional athlete, it’s more like a race up a mountain with the occasional short break to soak up the view (sometimes literally and that’s on his holidays).

In the past five years, we have lived in three different states and 12 different houses. Our average year is spent with Jesse and the team travelling to at least eight different countries and we’ve probably been in the same country for our birthdays once. 

With our joint venture as co-founders of Sense Rugby keeping me pretty busy at home, I am not often able to travel with him. 

As a result, myself and the other Aussie 7s partners and family would set those alarms to match the absurd time differences we’re contending with. 

I can’t say I usually feel comfortable texting my girlfriends at 4am, but I knew Kim (James Stannard), Min (Ed Jenkins) and Jesse’s family would be yelling at their TVs just as loudly! Sevens has a tendency to turn even the calmest of people into a screaming mess (or a crying mess if you’re me) and you’d only have to read a few of those texts to see the emotion behind these teams.

Sevens is the kind of sport that requires incredible sacrifice. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not just about ordering a salad instead of fries and running until you vomit. It’s a 24-hour job. Everything you do is planned around your travelling schedule, including weddings, babies, sleep and friends.

Last year, Jesse and I decided that it is time to settle down and he took up a contract with the Wests Tigers. As life goes, that certainly didn’t go to plan. I could never have predicted the loyalty he felt for this Australian team. I saw him follow their every move, but this time - he was the one texting people at 4am and almost crying in the final minutes of games.

The final nail in the coffin came earlier this year at the Sydney Sevens. The team asked Jesse to present them with their jerseys the night before the games. To me, this spoke volumes about where this team is at. Sydney is heavy with rugby legends, but the Aussie 7s wanted one of their own. Someone who has fought the good fight right there next to them on many, many occasions.

When Andy Friend [current Aussie 7s coach] shook his hand the next day and asked him if he was ready to come back yet, I knew we were done. It wasn’t long before I saw my man back in the green and gold and pushing with all he’s got for a spot on that plane to Rio.

So what do I do now? Well I get myself a ticket of course. I wouldn’t miss this one for the world. With the last minute travel plans all done - I’m looking forward to getting on the plane to watch our boys and girls do what they do best.