Aoife Healy began playing dual for the Cork seniors during her Leaving Cert year and she continues to play both codes three years on.
It's been a successful spell for the youngster, winning two O'Duffy Cups as a starter on Cork's All-Ireland senior camogie team.
January is a particularly hectic time of the year for Healy, a student in UCC, as she mixes a dual career at both inter-county and college's level.
Dual players are rare nowadays, even at club level, but Healy says she's learned plenty from Hannah Looney and Libby Coppinger, following their example to play both codes for her county.
Aoife Healy of UCC in action against Kate Kenny of DCU during the Electric Ireland Ashbourne Cup Semi Final between UCC and DCU at UCD in Dublin. Photo by Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile
But Healy admits there's a reason herself, Coppinger and Looney are unique in a sense, opening up on the challenges of life as a dual player.
The Cloyne and Aghada club woman hails the respective Cork managers Ger Manley and Joe Carroll for being approachable, but admits there are still times when dual players have to 'put their foot down.'
"Ger and Joe know what it's like, they've had dual players in the past with all the teams that they've had.
"They're very approachable people but even if at times they mightn't agree, as dual players, we have to put our foot down and decide what's best for us," she said at the launch of the Electric Ireland Higher Education Championships.
"Being able to communicate that to our managers is the most important thing."
Healy says the integration of the associations can't come quick enough so as to avoid fixture clashes, having had to choose between codes in the past.
"The fact that they're clashing is really frustrating as a dual player because it makes it feel like dual players aren't wanted."
"If the fixtures don't facilitate them, the dual players will drop off and you can see that already.
"It is tough. My first year playing with Cork, there were two or three occasions where the fixtures clashed. Two of us went to play camogie and two went to play football on those days.
"But you're missing out and as a result, it drives people out of it. Orlaith Cahalane ended up picking camogie. Me and Libby missed the football matches then, and that puts you on the back foot.
"I think it takes a lot of communication. Hopefully the integration will make that much easier, where they will have to be fixed properly."
Healy is appreciative that she's still allowed to play both codes in Cork, and will continue to do so for as long as she can.
"It's really nice to be able to do it because I know that some counties don't get the chance to, and they are made to make a decision. It's not something that a lot of people want.
"I know there are only three of us doing it at the minute but having the chance to do it is great and I will do it as long as my body will let me and as long as I'm allowed to do it."
Pictured are college teammates and intercounty rivals, Aoife Healy (UCC and Cork) and Eimear Heffernan (UCC and Tipperary), as Electric Ireland teams up with six intercounty Camogie and GAA stars to look ahead to the upcoming matches and rivalries across the Electric Ireland Camogie Third Level Championships and the Electric Ireland GAA Higher Education Championships. Through its #FirstClassRivals campaign, Electric Ireland will continue to celebrate the unique alliances that form between county rivals as they come together in pursuit of some of the most coveted titles across Camogie and GAA.
