SOFTBALL: As Christine Heisner looked on the rain-soaked diamonds at Memorial Park, she proudly spoke with The Observer how she started out in the sport.

The Telfords veteran is hopeful players are able to step out this afternoon and tonight as her team will face Souths White and Souths Blue, weather permitting.

"I started out with the Softball Gladstone Association in 1973 playing in the women's division obviously playing for the Devils which changed to Comets club," 56-year-old Heisner said.

"For the last 26 years, I have been with the Telfords club."

Over that time, Heisner played for Gladstone at representative level, coached juniors and was the senior vice-president at Telfords for many years.

Now she has taken a step back from off-field duties and she said that she has no intentions to retire as a player.

Heisner admitted she has lost count of the number of awards she has received - be it personal achievements and team success.

"Club trophies have been batter of the year, player of the year, outfielder of the year," she said.

Heisner also won the outfielder of the year a number of times at association level.

"Player of the year, I think, has been four times from memory," she added.

She is also a life-member of Gladstone Softball Incorporated and said she still gets around the bases swiftly.

"I can still run around the bases and I can still see the ball," she said.

Heisner has competed in two World Masters, seven Pan Pacific Games and Australian Masters.

"I'm actually doing a Murri tournament next month in Brisbane for a weekend," she said.