|
| Residence |
London, ENG |
| Occupation |
Athlete |
| Languages |
English |
| Higher education |
Economics, Mathematics - University of Nottingham: Nottingham, ENG |
|
| When and where did you begin this sport? |
She started playing hockey at age nine at school. |
| Why this sport? |
She loved team sports and was impressed with the enthusiasm of her games teacher about hockey. |
| Club / Team |
Leicester Hockey Club: Leicester, ENG |
| Name of coach |
Chris Mayer [club], Danny Kerry [national] |
| Preferred position / style / stance / technique |
Defence |
|
| Year |
2002 |
| Country |
England |
| Location |
Macau, China |
|
| Nicknames |
Pantos or Pants (Athlete, 31 Jul 2008) |
| Hobbies |
Reading and travelling. (Athlete, 31 Jul 2008) |
| Memorable sporting achievement |
Competing at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and returning to the game following a long term injury sustained in 2008. (Athlete, 03 Jul 2011) |
| Most influential person in career |
Coaches Helen Birch and Michelle Pearson. (Athlete, 03 Jul 2011) |
| Hero / Idol |
Swiss tennis player Roger Federer. (Athlete, 03 Jul 2011) |
| Injuries |
She spent two-and-a-half seasons away from the sport following the 2008 Olympic Games dealing with a career-threatening left knee injury. Her problems begin when she ruptured her posterior cruciate ligament in her left knee in 2005. After a year out, she returned and made the Olympic team for Beijing where she played with painkilling injections. After Beijing there was a long period of rehab where even simple functions such as walking up stairs caused her pain. She returned to training in late 2010. (northantset.co.uk, 09 Jun 2011)
She suffered a major ankle injury after a car accident in October 2003 and didn't return to playing until March 2005. Then in July 2005, she ruptured the post-cruciate ligament in her left knee which kept her out of the sport until September 2006. (GB Hockey Media Guide, 13 Aug 2008) |
| Sporting philosophy / motto |
"Face up to every challenge that presents itself and never leave yourself asking "what if?". (Athlete, 03 Jul 2011) |
| Ambitions |
To win a gold medal at the Olympic Games. (GB Hockey Media Guide 2008) |
| Other information |
RADICAL KNEE SURGERY
After competing at the 2008 Olympic Games with a persistent knee injury, she was forced to take time off from the sport after Beijing in order to recuperate. After finding it increasingly difficult to run, she eventually underwent a pioneering double operation to repair the posterior cruciate ligament in her left knee in February 2010. The operations involved a hamstring graft from both legs and a patella tendon debridement. She was in a leg brace for three months following the operation and returned to playing hockey in 2011. (northantset.co.uk, 09 Jun 2011) |
GBR