Katie keeps on defying the odds: 'I called mum and she nearly cried'

But her gun footy performances would likely fool anyone of her past health hurdles, which include a battle with cancer and living with a little hole in her heart.

A small town girl all her life, the 20-year-old multiple try-scoring star is a former Cabonne Roos player, a league tag fullback with Molong Bulls, and a Woodbridge backs utility in the Western Women's Rugby League (WWRL) competition.

But what most people don't know is how Fulwood fought back against all odds at the age of four after being diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) - a type of cancer affecting the blood and bone marrow.

"The cancer spread from my heart, to my brain, to my liver and I had learning difficulties all through school because I found it really hard to concentrate," Fulwood said.

"I was pretty little, so I don't remember much of it, but I know it was really hard on the family and it was tough always being told by specialists to be really careful and take extra care with what I did.

"There aren't many people who can say they've got a hole in their heart, but I've been told I'm one of the healthiest people to come out of it, which is pretty cool."

She'd spend 16 months in and out of The Children's Hospital at Westmead, cleared from cancer at the age of seven.

Along with travelling to and from Sydney for regular blood tests, heart scans and full check-ups for the years to follow, Fulwood had the phone consult of a lifetime in 2022.

"I got the all clear last year in August that I don't ever have to go up [to Sydney] again, so that was pretty exciting after 15 years," she said.

"I'll have my heart checked every two years until the end of my time and I'll just have to be very careful if I ever fall pregnant, as I'll be in the high risk category.

"But I was just ecstatic, I called mum and she was so happy she nearly cried, but I just have to keep it all under control myself now."

Which Fulwood has every intention of doing so, and then some.

She happily juggles casual jobs between Orange's Fitness First gym and Molong's Lime & Stone cafe and plans to look into doing support work for people with a disability.

Back into her footy training at The Rec as well, she's feeling stoked to add a brand new code to her sporting bucket in 2024 while continuing with the Bulls.

Signing on for the Molong Magpies Rugby Union Club's first women's competitive rugby squad, Fulwood's gazing at the next footy challenge with a twinkle in her eye.

"It's so hard to explain the feeling I get when I've got a footy in my hands, it just brings me this whole other joy," she said.

"It gets your heart racing and it puts a smile on my face anytime I'm on a footy field, whether it's a game or I'm just at training.

"I've overcome a lot that I get to let go of because it's in the past now, but I also forget about any of the hard things going on in life when I'm out there."

But for Fulwood, it's also about being part of something bigger.

When asked what the word "team" means to her, her response was "a little mini family".

"You've got each other's backs and you're always there for them," Fulwood said.

"I also feel like I can do anything when I'm part of a team, because I've got my people behind me where I think 'I'm set, I'm 'right'."