Hey Elise! So how’d you get your start in hockey?
One of my earliest memories was being out at hockey watching my Dad play. I was a child who always wanted to try everything, so it wasn't long until I had a hockey stick in my hand too.
How did your life change when you made the transition to being a professional athlete?
It meant that everything in my life was based around just that - being the best athlete I could be. From what I ate to when I ate, how much sleep I needed, how I recovered, training, travel and so much more. Growing up playing a sport like hockey (especially women’s hockey) meant that I had to work at the same time. Making the transition in to semi-professional hockey meant I could work less and invest more time into my performance.
Was there a sense of a sisterhood within your team? Tell us about that.
There was a sense of 'competitive sisterhood', meaning we all pushed each other to be the best athletes there were. Not just the best female athletes but the best versions of ourselves. The best thing about a team sport is that if you are having a tough day or tough patch, there is always someone there to pat you on the back or yell out something in support to get you back up and going again. We were away from our loved ones a lot, so the team became a family in itself!
What is a challenge you faced along the way in your career?
The biggest challenges I had in my career was injury. When you dedicate your life to sport you rely so much on the health of your body. Injuries are part and parcel of sport however the bottom line is they stop you from doing the one thing you are investing your life in and what you love. To get through it took more mental energy than physical energy at times.
What would your message be to girls out there who have a dream like yours they want to go after?
Have ambition and do not let any one tell you that you can't achieve it. I had a coach who once said to me and I quote – “You will never play for Australia”. I pulled on the green and gold and played for my country.
You’ve come into the public eye now, what’s next for you?
Being in the public eye has meant that overnight a lot of young women look up to me. It is really nice to receive messages of support like 'You are such a role model' and I get a lot of girls asking me about both my hockey career and marketing career, their challenges and what it takes to achieve your ambitions. These are the important things for me to share, triumph AND challenges as they are REAL things. I will be sharing these stories with people very soon with a new business venture, so stay tuned!
How do you think the next generation of young women can change the world?
Strong and successful women achieve things when we build each other UP instead of trying to knock each other down. We are seeing some great momentum in this at the moment across the globe but it needs to keep happening. We can achieve more together than we could ever hope to on our own.
