Merthyr hockey star Sarah Thomas jets off tomorrow to the Team GB Preparation Camp in Macau – but she took time out today to say farewell to family and friends.

The 27-year-old will become only the third female Welsh player in history to represent Great Britain at an Olympic Games.

While she is clearly looking to the challenges ahead in Beijing, Thomas today had the opportunity to look back at her early hockey career as she was joined by former Wales and Swansea team-mates as well as her first-ever coach Linda Treharne of Dowlais Ladies at the Welsh Institute of Sport in Cardiff.

Treharne remembers a young Sarah turning up at the Dowlais club at the age of 12 and realised she had a special talent on her hands. The star player then moved to Swansea Ladies and worked her way up through the ranks with Wales.

But she believes the biggest turning point came when she upped sticks to The Netherlands:

"I think joining the team in Rotterdam had the biggest effect. They play very attacking hockey which suits my game. It was difficult to move away from my family but it was the right thing to do."

Indeed, her parents and grandmother joined her today to say farewell. However, her parents will be flying out to Beijing for all the action at The Olympic Green Hockey Field – one of nine temporary venues which will be used at the Games.

The GB Women’s team has had a fantastic build up to the Beijing Olympics. They have had notable wins over reigning Olympic and European Champions, Germany, who they are set to face in their first game of their Olympics crusade:

"Of course, I’d love to come home with a medal but there are a lot of teams who could come out on top. We’re probably the most physically prepared teams but our first game is against Germany and next up is Argentina which is one of the most skilful teams in the world."

As for looking beyond Beijing, Thomas is still deciding:

"London 2012 is definitely something to aim for and it would be really special. But I’ll take Beijing first and will wait and see."