Albury United striker Paula Mitchell loves the release soccer provides from her job as a paramedic

Mitchell, who's taken the AWFA women's competition by storm this season, was playing for NPL side Nepean FC in western Sydney at a time when the club was giving its female players exciting new opportunities.

But the 23-year-old decided to put her job as a paramedic first, which meant relocating to regional NSW.

So would she have wanted to take her sport to the next level?

"Maybe, in another life," Mitchell pondered.

"I would love to have practised every day and tried to get into the W-League.

"I still think about it some days.

"When I was back in Sydney, the year before I left, it was going to be the first year my team started paying the women to play and that could have been a really good starting point for me.

"But my viewpoint was it's important to have a stable job to fall back on.

"You can put all your time and effort into professional sport but it's a good to have a back-up.

"I probably took the safe option."

Mitchell has played since she was six, giving the boys at school a run for their money during games at recess and working on her footwork in the back yard by trying to stop her border collie from biting the ball.

She was first picked for rep teams at 14 and continued excelling at club level before developing another passion in the emergency services.

"I just thought it would be cool," Mitchell said about her desire to work as a paramedic.

"I want to help people.

"It's a good job, it's practical, you get to be outdoors and it's really hands-on.

"It's so satisfying when you get to someone who's really sick and you can do something almost straight away that totally turns it around.

"You can't fix everyone but you get to deliver babies and stuff like that so that's the good side of it.

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"Sport is my stress release from work.

"Coming to play soccer and training, it's something that makes me happy.

"It's the balance you need between work and your personal life."

Mitchell's numbers this season suggest she has found that balance.

In her first season at Albury United, she has already bagged 17 league goals as the unbeaten Greens have opened up a 19-point lead at the top of the ladder.

"We have a really good attacking team," Mitchell said.

"A lot of the midfielders can hit shots from wherever they want and we've got at least six people who are good strikers.

"I had a year off last year so I thought I might be a bit uncoordinated but it's been good.

"Training's helped with that and I always practise by myself on my days off to keep my skills up."

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