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| Human Interest | |
|---|---|
Further Personal Information | |
| Residence | London, ENG |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Club / Team | St Albans: England |
Further Personal Information | |
| Higher education | Exercise Science, Sports Science - Loughborough University: England |
General Interest | |
| Hobbies | Spending time in London, eating, going to the theatre, watching sport. (englandhockey.co.uk, 09 May 2016) |
| Memorable sporting achievement | Winning a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London and a gold medal at the 2015 EuroHockey Championships in London, England. (Twitter profile, 28 Apr 2016) |
| Other sports | She turned down a trial with Arsenal Ladies Football Club to play county hockey. (englandhockey.org.uk, 24 Aug 2010) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Why this sport? | Her teacher encouraged her to try the sport when she impressed during a physical education lesson. |
General Interest | |
| Most influential person in career | Her parents. (Athlete, 03 Jul 2011) |
| Hero / Idol | Great Britain rower Steve Redgrave. (greatbritainhockey.co.uk, 30 Jun 2013) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Name of coach | Danny Kerry [national], GBR |
| Preferred position / style / stance / technique | Forward |
| When and where did you begin this sport? | She took up hockey at age 12 at school. |
International Debut | |
| Year | 2003 |
| Competing for | England |
Further Personal Information | |
| Occupation | Athlete, Nutritionist |
| Languages | English |
General Interest | |
| Nicknames | Macca (leicesterhc.co.uk, 24 Aug 2010) |
| Sporting philosophy / motto | "If winning isn't everything, why do they keep score?" (greatbritainhockey.co.uk, 30 Jun 2013) "Sport is like a drug, conjuring emotions few surely experience during their day job. The highs are incredible and live long after the moment has gone. I have shared some experiences like no other, and even now, they bring a tear of joy to my eye as I recall them." (theguardian.com, 22 Aug 2015) |
| Other information | DOCTOR NUTRITION She has a PhD in exercise physiology from Nottingham Trent University, having originally studied sports science at Loughborough University. She has also completed a diploma awarded by the International Olympic Committee [IOC] in sport and exercise nutrition, and is the co-founder of A Word On Nutrition, a web consultancy business which provides expert health and nutrition advice for athletes, sports teams, companies and the general public. (awordonnutrition.com, 22 Mar 2016; cityam.com, 06 Jul 2015) MEDAL THEFT Her bronze medal from the 2012 Olympic Games in London, was stolen, along with her jacket, from a London nightclub in October 2012. She made a Twitter appeal saying she was 'totally devastated', and requested that the thief returned the medal. A few days later the medal was posted back to England Hockey's head office in Buckinghamshire. (bbc.co.uk, 26 Oct 2012) EARLY DAYS She says she was quiet and unassuming as a child, but had a drive and steely determination to achieve things. "I didn't fit into any of the typical groups in the playground – the cool gang, the geeks, or the rebels. I just wanted to play sport and play it better every day. Hockey wasn't my first love, football was, but girls weren't allowed to play at my school. At 14, my PE teacher encouraged me to join a hockey club – a place where I fitted in. In a sports team, judgements move away from how popular you are and what you look like to how hard you are willing to work and how much you contribute. This was my 'gang' and a supportive environment to help develop confidence and self-worth." (theguardian.com, 22 Aug 2015) |
| Injuries | She injured her hand in the semifinal match against Germany at the Valencia, Spain semifinal stage of the 2014/15 World League, then in the final against the People's Republic of China, she had to leave the field early on after fracturing a couple of ribs. (cambridge-news.co.uk, 04 Jul 2015; cityam.com, 06 Jul 2015) In 2013 she fractured her shin bone, just below the kneecap after getting her foot stuck in the turf. (Facebook page, 07 Apr 2013) |
| Ambitions | To win a gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and be able to say she helped inspire women and girls to play sport, be confident and be the best they can be. (cambridge-news.co.uk, 04 Jul 2015; theguardian.com, 22 Aug 2015) |