A relatively small number of individuals have the privilege of leading their country in the World Cup, and a 16-year-old from Dumfries is poised to experience this prestigious distinction soon.
The Scotland Under-19 women's cricket team was led by the skipper, who led the team to the achievement of qualifying for the Malaysia tournament last year.
They will face off against one of the sport's star-studded teams - Australia, as well as Bangladesh and the qualifiers Nepal - in the T20 tournament, which is set to begin this Saturday.
Niamh has had to balance work, studies, and training in order to prepare for the competition.
Despite taking many years of practice, this is a goal she has been striving to accomplish since starting at the local club, St Michael's, when she was around 11 or 12 years old.
I grew up being exposed to cricket because my father used to play it.
I was always present on weekends and times like that.
I thought, let's just give it a shot.
I was quite taken by it and performed well, progressing relatively quickly through the levels.
Duncan, a proud father, has taken Niamh with him to games since she was around three years old.
He remembered how surprised we all were when she, who was 12 years old at the time, performed at a high level with no prior training or coaching.
The international player who coached her found her and helped her develop her overall cricketing skills seriously.
They take great pride in her accomplishments at St Michael's.
I'm the only female at the club right now, which means I've essentially grown up around the men's team.
They are truly delightful; they are genuinely accommodating.
Niamh began by playing club cricket, then transitioned to regional matches, and has progressed to the Scotland U15 team and is now a member of the U19 team.
She was given the captaincy en route to the World Cup.
"I led the qualifying rounds as team captain," she said.
It was a completely new experience for me - I'd never done anything like it before, but the coaches felt I'd be particularly well-suited for it.
The encounter with the Netherlands could hardly have ended in more triumph, with an unbeaten record stretching to three victories.
"We all truly enjoyed it - it was a fresh environment for some of the girls as well, which was a positive change," she said.
Why attending the World Cup is undoubtedly a considerable step, but it will be beneficial for us.
The competition commences on January 18th and continues until February 2nd - but what constitutes winning?
We plan on playing as much cricket as possible during that period, I think.
Simply gaining experience by playing against more challenging opponents to assess our current level of play and identify areas for improvement.
Obviously making it past the group stage would be our ideal outcome, but it's a significant challenge.
The 19-year-old batsman has taken the third position in her national team's lineup recently and considers herself a "very confident player".
Members of her team hail from various locations within Scotland, as well as players born in England, but with Scottish ancestry.
As the World Cup approaches, they have been gathering on a regular basis to prepare in the best way possible and are now ready for the challenge.
Our attitude is always to want to win, which I believe is a very positive thing.
I believe we've definitely put together a very robust team this season.
We've experienced numerous games this summer through training and other activities, but we've all developed and enhanced our skills significantly.
Niamh's father describes the U19s team as a "talented bunch" who will "give 100%" regardless of who they are playing against.
He expressed his joy at witnessing his daughter's growth "through the highs and lows" and enjoying many long winter trips to play across Scotland and England.
We are all extremely proud of everything she has accomplished and I'm confident she proudly wears the thistle on her heart.
It is an experience every athlete wishes to have, representing and leading their country in sports.
"The rigorous effort she and the trainers have invested is unrivaled, cultivating Niamh into a well-rounded individual with superior situational understanding.
We can't even begin to describe how proud we are of the person she's turned out to be - something that brings a smile to the faces of her loved ones.
