GRENOBLE, France — The motivation for a world tournament is special and Reggae Girlz strike partners Khadija “Bunny” Shaw and Jody Brown know that all too well.

Like many of their teammates, Shaw and Brown would have dreamt about and aspired to one day be a part of the Fifa Women’s World Cup and so everyday they worked at maximum level, all in a bid to accomplish the feat.

The journey was intense and there were struggles along the way, but now that their historic qualification to the global showpiece is completed, the duo is raring to strut their stuff on the highest stage for any player.

Shaw and Brown are expected to be on the radar as two of the most exciting young stars here in France, and while the pressure is there, they have been calm in their preparations ahead of their bow on Sunday.

Both players will be key in the Hue Menzies-coached side with Shaw having so far registered 31 goals overall, 19 of which came during the qualifiers, the most by any one player across the global landscape, while 17-year-old Brown has so far produced eight.

Shaw, 22, who was the first female player to be named Guardian Player of the Year, has already been an inspiration for aspiring players locally and abroad, having defied the odds to become one of the most talked-about young female players of this era.

“As a child playing the sport in Jamaica you dream about being in the World Cup; you dream about being the one to tell people that I made it to the World Cup and it (the journey is) hard but at the end of the day everyone wants to accomplish a dream and through hard work and dedication look where we are now,” Shaw stated.

The towering player, who represented Jamaica at every level starting with stints in the Under-15, Under-17, and Under-20 — all at the same time — when she was just 14 years old, has reaped tremendous success with her physicality and quickness in reading the game.

However, she recounts growing up when the opportunities for female players were few, but she desperately pursued a career in football as a vehicle to escape personal tragedies.

“When I was younger playing the sport there were not a lot of opportunities in Jamaica. In fact, my mother didn’t want me to play because she thought that I wasn’t going to reach anywhere. But, you just have to believe in your dream and I encouraged my mom and I told her I could be one of those players who make it to the World Cup and inspire others.

“We still have that conversation up to today, so we (female players) have what it takes but if we don’t have the opportunity and we don’t have the resources then that just leaves the raw talent, so when you have that and determination then you can make it far, and now we are here,” the prolific striker reasoned.

Looking ahead to Sunday’s opener against Brazil at Stade des Alpes in Grenoble, Shaw will be seeking to outshine her opposite number, the highly rated and experienced Marta.

“It’s a great feeling when your idol become your rival. I grew up watching her play and as I said it’s a dream to be here and when you work hard you say one day I want to be in a position where I am competing against her,” Shaw noted.

“Everyday it’s a constant grind to get to this stage and when you get tired you say you are doing this one for the World Cup, doing this one to get to where I want to be. So, as I said, it has been a long journey and we have pulled through. We dealt with all the adversities that we have been through and now we are here, so on Sunday we are just ready to go,” the St Jago and University of Tennessee alumna added.

Meanwhile, Brown, while basking in the moment, is also aiming to shine for the Reggae Girlz team as she looks ahead to a promising future.

“I just want to keep on pushing everyday so I can go further in my career and just to follow their (my older teammates) steps and teach younger girls the good things that I have done. It’s a great feeling being here; it’s a dream from I was growing up, so now I am here, I am just going to take the opportunity and make the most of it and just keep on going,” the fleet-footed winger shared.

While being the youngest player in the Reggae Girlz set-up, the diminutive Brown is looking forward to matching strides with Brazil’s oldest player, 41-year-old midfielder Formiga.

“I think I have the upper hand because I am younger and I am grinding everyday. I am ready to go and I am faster as well, so it should be good,” the shy Brown added.

The 53rd-ranked Jamaicans, the first Caribbean team to qualify for the World Cup, will then tackle Italy and Australia in Group C on June 14 and 18, respectively.