Former Ysgol Dewi Sant pupil Jasmine Joyce is ready for Rio as she heads to the 2016 Olympic Games with Team GB

But for Jasmine Joyce, that dream came true on Tuesday morning when she was confirmed as one of the 12 squad members to compete for Team GB in the female Rugby 7s event in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The 20-year-old had already been provisionally told that she would make the squad, but admits she remained nervous right up until the final announcement was made.

“It was hard to relax because even after I was told we still had a competition in France to play and contact training sessions to get through,” she told the Western Telegraph on Wednesday.

“It’s such a relief now that all the build-up is done and I can look forward to Rio.”

However, there has been little chance for the former Ysgol Dewi Sant pupil to take stock of things, as Tuesday was spent joining her teammates and the Team GB male 7s squad for photographs and media duties – the start of a frenzied 48 hours that saw her mobile phone effectively go into overdrive.

“It’s been amazing,” she said.

“My phone has been going crazy with messages of congratulations from people – even family members who live in Saudi Arabia have been in touch.

“It’s hard to take it all in but everyone has been so great and supportive and I love it.”

Indeed, selection for the Olympics represents a meteoric rise for Jasmine, who started out in rugby at seven-years-old when she joined the mini section at St Davids RFC.

At the age of 12, when inter-gender rugby was no longer permitted, she moved to Haverfordwest RFC in order to play with female only teams.

From there she eventually progressed to represent the Scarlets at under 18 level, before continuing her development at Cardiff Met and the Pontyclun Falcons, where she appeared in a WRU Women’s Super Cup final as her reputation as a lightning quick winger grew.

But critically, she was also spotted by the senior Scarlets Ladies side, and it was through representing them at both 15-a-side and in regional 7s competitions that her break came on the international stage.

“I was called up by the Wales Ladies 7s side, and trained in the camp for around three months before I was asked to go to Dubai with them in December 2014,” said Jasmine.

“After that I got selected regularly and played throughout the 2015 European Championships that was held over two legs in Russia and France.”

That series also served as a qualifier for the 2016 Rio Olympics, although this did not apply individually to England, Scotland, and Wales, who were already qualified as Team GB.

“At this point the Olympics didn’t even enter my mind,” admitted Jasmine.

“We had been told that the coaches were looking at Welsh and Scottish players to join the England squad, who were all fully professional, a year out from Rio but I never thought I would be selected.”

However it was then that a call from Caroline Spanton, the WRU National Women's Rugby Manager, changed Jasmine’s life as she was told that she and Laurie Harries, whose Olympic hopes were ended prematurely due to a shoulder injury, would be the only two Welsh representatives in the 24-strong training squad.

“I had to defer my final year in University and moved to Guilford (the squad has since moved base to Marlowe), to train five days a week with the rest of the squad.

“At first it was daunting because it was my first experience with full time professionals and the England players had such a high skill set.

“Everything they did was to such a high standard, and that changed my game and improved my own skills.

“And as time went on I became more comfortable and began to feel I belonged.”

The squad also played in international tournaments under the banner of the GB Lions and GB Royals, and it was only after representing the former in Russia last month that Jasmine began to think Olympic selection was a real possibility.

“I had a good tournament in an invitational 7s in Guilford and got really good feedback from the coaches.

“And then in June we went to Kazan for a Europe Grand Prix Series event and things went outstandingly well for me in terms of performance and tries.

“I knew selection was going to come down to performances and it was only then I started to believe I could be picked.”

But despite now being confirmed as the only non-English representative in head coach Simon Middleton’s squad, Jasmine admits the whole experience still hasn’t sunk in as she prepares to fly with her teammates to Belo Horizonte, Brazil, for acclimatisation and training before heading to Rio de Janeiro.

“It’s only when I’m on the plane or maybe even playing that it will all feel real and I just can’t wait to go.”

Jasmine will be supported in Rio by parents Jason and Bethan Joyce, and her grandfather Ted, and said she couldn’t thank her family and friends enough for all their encouragement.

“I also want to give a special mention to Carwyn and Geraint Richards, who were my first coaches at St Davids RFC – and my PE teacher Rachael Thomas in YDS, who was always pushing me to better myself in sport and who helped me so much mentally.”

The women’s 7s competition takes place from August 6th-8th at the Deodoro Stadium – with Team GB in a pool with hosts Brazil, Japan and Canada.

And sure enough, there will be plenty in St Davids and indeed further afield now watching the event with added interest, to see Jasmine Joyce round off an unforgettable 12 months by fulfilling an Olympic dream.

Western Telegraph Sport would like to congratulate Jasmine on her Olympic selection and wish her the best of luck in Rio.