Changing careers into Cybersecurity at 43 with zero IT experience. Am I being realistic?

A 43-year-old hospitality management professional in Australia with 20 years of industry experience is studying a Certificate IV in Cyber Security at TAFE Queensland and seeking to transition into cybersecurity despite having no professional IT experience. They are gaining hands-on experience through practical labs, TryHackMe, Wireshark, and other security tools, with a goal of starting in a junior Cyber Security Analyst or SOC Analyst role. They are seeking advice from others who have transitioned into IT or cybersecurity in their 40s, specifically regarding whether they landed junior cybersecurity roles directly or had to start in IT support, how employers reacted to their age and career change, and what to focus on to improve their chances.