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| Human Interest | |
|---|---|
Further Personal Information | |
| Residence | Perth, WA, AUS |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Club / Team | HC Melbourne: Australia |
General Interest | |
| Hero / Idol | Australian hockey player Rachel Imison. (athletesvoice.com.au, 15 Mar 2019) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Name of coach | Tim Strapp [club]; Katrina Powell [national], AUS |
| Preferred position / style / stance / technique | Goalkeeper |
International Debut | |
| Year | 2006 |
| Competing for | Australia |
| Location | Netherlands |
Further Personal Information | |
| Occupation | Athlete, Business Owner, Coach, Nurse |
General Interest | |
| Nicknames | Junior, Rach (Facebook profile, 27 Aug 2019; rachaellynch.com.au, 03 Feb 2014) |
| Sporting philosophy / motto | "If it doesn't hurt, it doesn't work." (rio2016.olympics.com.au, 01 Jan 2016) |
Further Personal Information | |
| Higher education | Nursing - Australian Catholic University: Melbourne, VIC, AUS |
General Interest | |
| Other sports | She has played softball at state level in Australia. (Athlete, 31 Jul 2009) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Why this sport? | "Hockey came into my life when my grade six teacher encouraged me to try it. They had some gear at the school and I played goalkeeper and as a field player. Shortly afterwards, I tried out for the state team as both and they selected me as a goalie and it went from there. I suppose I kind of just fell into it." |
| Handedness | Right |
| When and where did you begin this sport? | She first joined a hockey club at age 12 in Victoria, Australia. |
Further Personal Information | |
| Languages | English |
International Debut | |
| Opponent | England |
General Interest | |
| Awards and honours | She was named 2019 International Hockey Federation [FIH] Goalkeeper of the Year. (stompgoalkeeping.com.au, 14 Feb 2020) She was named Goalkeeper of the Tournament at the 2019 Pro League Finals in Amstelveen, Netherlands. (stompgoalkeeping.com.au, 14 Feb 2020) She was named Goalkeeper of the Tournament at the 2014 World Cup in the Netherlands. (hockey.org,au, 01 Aug 2014) |
International Debut | |
| Tournament | Champions Trophy |
General Interest | |
| Memorable sporting achievement | Winning gold at the 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth Games. (athletesvoice.com.au, 15 Mar 2019) |
| Other information | BALANCE She feels the balance provided by her work as a neurological rehabilitation nurse enhances her performances as a hockey player. "I have been working for the majority of my career and, in the two years I took off work, I had my worst years of hockey performance. Mentally, I am much better when I have work-life balance. I like to be able to switch off and keep perspective on things. When I just concentrate on hockey I end up thinking too much and putting too much pressure on myself. I love my job as a nurse and honestly feel it helps me play better." (athletesvoice.com.au, 15 Mar 2019; sbs.com.au, 04 Jul 2016) TRAINING PROGRAMME She is the founder of 'Stomp Goalkeeping', a guided goalkeeper training programme. "As a specialised position and minority in a team of 16, training is often focused on field players. My dream is for all goalkeepers to feel empowered, supported and to get the targeted training they need and deserve." (stompgoalkeeping.com.au, 14 Feb 2020) AMBASSADOR She has served as an ambassador for 'RUOK? Day' ran by the RUOK? charity focused on suicide prevention in Australia. She has undertaken fundraising challenges for the charity including hiking in Papua New Guinea and cycling long distances in Australia. (stompgoalkeeping.com.au, 14 Feb 2020) |
| Ambitions | To win a gold medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. (thewomensgame.com, 17 Mar 2019) |
Further Personal Information | |
| Family | Partner Ben |