Brave, strong, independent, compassionate, intelligent, positive, passionate, courageous, adventurous, kind and caring.

They were some of the words used to describe Emma Joubert as a large gathering of family and friends celebrated her life on Wednesday, December 11.

Most of all, they spoke of her “blinding mega-watt smile that was brighter than the sun itself”.

Even on the football pitch, while playing for the “ThirdBirds”, everyone noticed Emma’s smile.

“Emma was quick on the field and put in a great effort every game with that trademark smile on her face,” her father Craig said on behalf of Emma’s family, mother Evie, brother Sandon and sister Tegan.

“She also had a habit of overbalancing and falling over a lot which would frequently lead to her team being awarded free kicks and penalties.”

Younger sister Tegan told how she had always followed in the footsteps of Emma.

“As a kid I did most of the things that you do,” Tegan said. “We both played the recorder, we went to girl guides, we played soccer, we did athletics and dancing, and we both tore our ACLs twice.”

Emma’s main sporting passion was soccer and she began playing for Thirroul JFC in 2006.

“She was part of some very successful junior girls’ teams before being a part of the fantastic Thunderbirds third division team, affectionately known as the ‘ThirdBirds’,” Craig said.

Many of Emma’s current and former team-mates and others from Thirroul JFC turned out to honour her and share memories.

They heard about Emma’s love for girl guides. cooking, eating cheese, drinking tea, doing craft, playing games and her spirit of adventure.

“From an early age there were two constants in Emma’s life apart from her smile and they were her love of playing sport and her love of Guides,” Craig said. “Guides taught Emma how to be a leader and bought her great joy, many good times and great friendships.”

She was also an adrenalin junkie who was prepared to have a go at anything and Guides provided an outlet for this.

“Despite being small and quiet Emma was very adventurous,” Craig said. “In 2011 she went to New Zealand on an adventure holiday and in 2017, when Emma travelled to Norway for a Guides and Scouts camp, she also took the time to explore both London and Norway.

“Over the years she has bungee-jumped, went in a zorb ball, did white water rafting on a number of occasions, black water rafting, surfing, sky diving, hiking, hang gliding, steering a yacht in Auckland, climbed Sydney Harbour Bridge and went canyoning.”

Emma was born in Brisbane’s Mater Hospital on July 30, 1993. She attended Thirroul Public School and Bulli High School before going to Wollongong University, where she completed a degree in Public Health. Emma later obtained a Masters of Clinical Epidemiology at Newcastle University.

She had a love of spicy food, particularly Asian and Mexican dishes, and shared Evie’s passion for cheese, as well as cooking and tennis.

Evie and Emma went to Melbourne for the Australian Open and also watched the Hopman Cup together, while the family attended Matildas and Socceroos matches.

“Emma will be greatly missed by both family and friends and remembered for her smile, her sense of intelligence, her sense of humour, her generosity, having the softest skin of any human ever and for being beautiful and strong,” Craig said.

“Evie and I are extremely proud of the woman that Emma became. She will be forever young.”

Tegan also paid tribute to Emma’s strength and courage after initially being diagnosed with a cancerous sarcoma in her leg earlier this year.

“As you underwent treatment and surgery I was never once scared because I never once saw you scared,” Tegan said. “You were the bravest, strongest and most determined person I have ever met.

“You were so outstandingly kind, giving, caring, proud … you had the heart of a lion and a raging passion for everything that you do, with the most gentle and loving nature about you.

“I am so immensely proud to call you my big sister. Your laugh, kind nature and smile touched the lives of anyone who met you and you will never be forgotten. Never stop smiling Emma.”