#RoadToRio: Success is knowing you have given your all, says Alex Danson

May 12, 2016

GB and England Hockey star Alex Danson is preparing for a huge summer of hockey the only way she knows how – by giving her all.

Having made her international debut while still at school and winning medals at the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, World Cup and EuroHockey Championships, Alex could be forgiven for looking back on her career with pride. But that is not in her make-up.

She said, “My success is knowing I can look at myself in the mirror and know I’ve done everything I possibly can. That is my life in a nutshell.

“Your chance of success comes in your preparation and your training. We are training all year round, sometimes Christmas Day, so you are dedicated to what you do and you don’t want the thought that another team is getting in a little bit of extra time.

“Our team is very special, 31 women driven and dedicated with a common goal. We don’t miss sessions, we work very hard, and those are the details that make a team great. I still pinch myself that I’m a full-time hockey player and I’ve loved every minute of it. I absolutely love playing hockey and I have the best job in the world for anyone who loves their sport.”

This summer begins in earnest with the Hockey Champions Trophy event at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in June, showcasing the very best teams in the world, just before the Rio Olympics in August. There is a lot to play for.

“Instead of any sort of bog-standard preparation [for Rio], it’s great that we have the best teams in the world playing at our home,” said Danson

“It’s the most competitive our squad has ever been. I need to fight for my place on the pitch so I know, come selection day, I’ve done all I can. If I don’t get selected, I have still been successful because I have given my absolute best.”

Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine

The Hockey Champions Trophy for men and women, part of UK Sport’s National Lottery funded #EveryRoadtoRio campaign, takes place from 10-26 June 2016. For more information and to buy tickets go to www.greatbritainhockey.co.uk/gbtickets

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#RoadToRio: Success is knowing you have given your all, says Alex Danson

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