It is said that a big vision is a driving force that motivates one to set lofty targets and big dreamers focus their energy and strength on bringing those goals to fruition.

American-born Reggae Girl Giselle Washington epitomises this life mantra.

Amidst the frustration of her lengthy battle with two anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, which saw her missing months of action, including Jamaica’s historic debut at the Fifa Women’s World Cup, Washington refused to be overpowered by the difficult times.

And like a true believer and dreamer, she continued to make big plans for school and country.

The 5ft 10in tall deceptive defender/midfielder immediately set those plans in motion on return from her layoff, with a debut appearance off the bench for the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers.

But given her formidable knowledge of the game and the fact that she showed that she can play at an extremely high level with a clean bill of health, Washington quickly secured a starting spot for her second outing last week, and contributed significantly to a shutout, as her Lady Vols team edged Vanderbilt University — the team of fellow Reggae Girl Madiya Harriott — 1-0.

“Coming back from the injuries I suffered was definitely challenging, but despite the difficulty, I grew stronger mentally and physically by trusting God and his plan.

“I also had alot of support from friends, family, teammates, and coaches, which I am extremely grateful as they were extremely helpful. But by staying positive and having faith in God, I was able to grow in so many ways,” Washington told the Jamaica Observer from her base in Knoxville.

“So I’m happy and beyond excited to be back on the field after working hard in training and recuperating. I missed it so much, and now that I am back, I just want to keep working on improving technically, fitness wise, and strength wise. By doing this I hope to become a better player in different aspects everyday,” she beamed.

Washington, 19, was an instrumental figure in the then Hue Menzies-led Reggae Girlz World Cup qualification, as she covers wide expanses of space and rarely makes mistakes.

However, the torn ACL ruled her out of the final squad for the showpiece in France.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, Washington after recovering from that injury, suffered another tear which ruled her out of the senior team’s Olympic qualifying campaign as well as the Under-20 Word Cup qualifiers.

She couldn’t catch a break.

For some, such an experience might have trapped them in their own mind, much like an explorer lost in a dark cave. But for Washington it was the complete opposite.

“I was extremely disappointed to miss out on all of those events and it was kind of a mental block for me at first, but then I decided to focus on the positives.

“I was extremely grateful to have been a part of the team’s amazing journey visiting all those places and meeting so many wonderful people along the way. So although I wasn’t there physically, I was there in spirit cheering the team on and hoping I would be back out there soon,” Washington, who has represented the country at all levels, shared.

“Since then I have really just been rehabilitating, training and getting the work done behind the scenes trying to get back on the field and here I am now,” she said with some delight.

Though the Reggae Girlz cycle, and by extension the qualifiers for the 2023 Women’s World Cup is some ways off, Washington, who earns her Jamaican stripes through her mother, is eagerly hoping to be a part of that campaign.

While waiting, she intends to take the necessary steps to improve your craft to grasp every opportunity that presents itself along the way.

“The aim going forward is to just keep improving myself and accelerate my growth. I am one that believes there is always room for improvement and so everyday I look to take steps to become better,” Washington noted.

“Another goal of mine, hopefully after COVID-19, is to qualify and make it to another World Cup. That would be a really great accomplishment for me to represent my country on that big stage,” the soft-spoken player ended.