The Southern United footballer started playing when she was 8 after she begged her parents to let her join the "little boys team".
But six years later her sporting dreams were put on hold when she was diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome, a condition that causes her nerves and brain to leave her body in a constant state of pain.
The chronic illness has not made life easy for her.
When Hannay (20) was 14, she was unable to walk or attend school, and she was in and out of Starship Hospital.
She slowly got better after a rehabilitation programme that allowed her body to exercise more freely, and 18 months ago, she decided it was time to return to football.
"It [football] was a really massive part of my life and I think when I got sick, and couldn’t play, it took a lot from your identity as a person and sort of, I guess, what you see yourself as capable of," Hannay said.
"For me, playing again was a massive part of regaining my sense of self and proving to myself that I’ve come a long way and I’m back towards the health I want to be."
The former striker knew she would not be able to "hack it as an outfielder in the big leagues" and when her home club, Western Springs, in Auckland, needed a goalkeeper for its premier team, she decided to make the positional switch.
After moving to Dunedin to study at the University of Otago, Hannay joined Roslyn this year and was "shoulder tapped" to join Southern United.
Standing at 1.68m — or "vertically challenged" as she puts it — Hannay is not the tallest keeper in the national league, but she worked hard after years of "bench warming" to be Southern United’s first choice this season.
"I think I’ve always struggled with feeling like, I guess, a bit of the underdog because I was pretty new to it and up against some really good girls who have been quite established for quite a long period of time.
"I’ve seen myself come a long way to get that No 1 shirt which is cool."
Her first season with Southern United helped her grow as a player and she loved the family environment the team created.
The team will need to draw on that culture on Sunday when it comes up against Eastern Suburbs in Dunedin.
Eastern is at the top of the table and Southern United will be looking for three points after last week’s loss to bottom-placed Central, she said.
"I think it’s always tough going away last weekend, up to Palmerston North, and not necessarily getting the result you wanted to get — it’s hard for sort of morale.
"But I think we’re definitely a unit that does bounce back ... we’re a team that just gives our all for each other and I think that’s going to be really key, just coming together and working hard for each other. I definitely think we can do it this weekend."
The second-year medical student was proud to have found her feet again in the sport — and career path — she loved.
"I think as a child you always have, you know, the dream of playing the professional kind of sport pathway and that dream kind of faded when I got sick and I decided that I wanted to be a doctor and it’s cool now to be able to do both of them.
"Maybe the football’s not quite as high but it is cool to be able to do both things you enjoy."
