"You can definitely gain it (fearlessness), it definitely helps to get you started to have an element of fearlessness, but it's always difficult as you grow older and the kids can hit that bit harder to keep it going," she replied when asked if fearlessness was inherent or could be learnt.

"I can remember in my career Toni Cronk, who was the NSW (and Australian) goalie just ahead of my era, we had an overlap of one season, she bribed me with chocolate not to flinch as much and that was all it took for me to take that next step of fearlessness."

Elite athletes and sport scientists spend their careers searching for that one percent improvement, but sometimes the answer is much simpler, even when the ball is hurtling towards you at more than 100kmh.

However, anyone involved in Bartram's career understands the enormous work ethic which has carried her to the top.

A two-time silver medallist at the Commonwealth Games and bronze medallist at last year's World Cup, Bartram has played more than 50 games for Australia.

And the Albury-raised goalkeeper has just conducted a series of coaching sessions back home, from juniors to adults.

"It's the first time I've been home since COVID, unfortunately living in Perth the hard border closures meant any free time I had I couldn't get home anyway," she revealed.

"The last few years have been really busy, going back to uni, but it's amazing to be home and really cool that I've been able to put on these clinics, I always love to give back and felt a bit guilty I haven't been home for a while."

It's typical of the 30-year-old's unselfish nature, with her next target the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Bartram was the reserve goalkeeper for the Hockeyroos in Tokyo, but she never played a game and, interestingly, wasn't allowed to stay at the athletes' village.

"I stayed in a hotel that looked at another hotel, it wasn't much of a view," she recalled.

"You couldn't leave too much because Tokyo was also in lockdown, I basically spent my time between my room, we had a staff member travelling with us and another goalie, we all got along well, which is nice.

"We'd have little parties to watch Australian teams and then go downstairs to use the gym and then take a special taxi and go to the hockey and back, I got to see the outside of the village, but I'm itching to see the inside of the village next year.

"It would be a dream to play at the Olympics."

As they say on World Chocolate Day, 'chocolate dreams come true'.