Hooked on hockey Claire’s comeback shows she has the world at her feet Forget swim suits and easy reads, when Claire Thompson heads to Spain in July it won’t be to kick back and relax in the sun like many of us plan to do on a summer break. Instead, she will be packing her hockey stick and sports kit as she prepares for the ultimate sporting high - to represent her country at the top level of her sport. Competing in the Hockey Masters World Cup next month will mark Claire’s incredible comeback to the sport after nearly three decades of an absence and, true to the slogan of the tournament, proves that “it’s never too late” to achieve sporting success. Masters Hockey is for those over 40 years old, with an over 60 team too. As part of the Scottish women’s over 55 squad, Claire will travel to Terrassa near Barcelona to compete in the international tournament which will be attended by 132 teams from 31 countries. It marks an incredible milestone in Claire’s sporting story, after giving up playing hockey nearly 30 years ago when she sustained a serious injury. Claire comes from a family where her parents excelled in sport – her father playing bowls and football and taught her to play tennis and supported her athletics career, and her mum played netball and table tennis ¬¬– so Claire got into sport from a young age. Unlike her parents, her sport of choice was hockey and she was a gifted player, featuring in school, town and university teams and representing her country in the Under 21s Scottish Indoor Squad. However, that all came to a crashing end when she ruptured her Anterior Cruciate Ligament – an injury that has put paid to the careers of a number of highprofile footballers - and medical professionals advised her to give up her sport. She was devastated, and although she made a full recovery and kept fitness and sport in her life, Claire returned to hockey but never at the same level again and turned
to coaching the local teams and eventually giving up the sport but playing golf and squash. Claire explained: “Golf was something to play when I retired from hockey, it just happened sooner than I expected, and during these years I was ladies captain and ladies club champion at one point. “Four years ago a friend of mine knew I had been involved in hockey when I was younger and asked if I could help with primary and high school kids in the Aberfeldy and Pitlochry area. I was delighted to help coach and there is now nearly 40 children in our Highland Perthshire Hockey Club.” That experience led her back onto the pitch and with a move to West Calder, decided to see if she could get a game and joined Livingston and West Lothian Hockey Club. Harburn Scottish Women’s Institutes member Claire continues: “Sport was my life, so I was completely devastated when my injury forced me to give up. “After a referee told me I was good enough for Masters, it planted the seed in my head. I had had such a long break from hockey that I was out of touch, I did not realise what was out there. “I’m glad I’ve got back into it, as it’s great being part of the national squad and I’m really looking forward to going to Spain.” Despite the passage of time, she’s back on form playing and showing she’s still got what it takes to reach the top of her game, but in addition to sporting skill, it takes commitment and dedication to pursue sport at a national level. To go with the national squad to Spain means taking time off work and having to raise £1200 for travelling costs, all on top of a vigorous training regime, but Claire says it will be all worthwhile for the thrill of representing her country in the tournament. “I am really chuffed to and I’m really looking forward to it. It is an honour to be part of a squad which
Most of us look forward to having a fortnight in the sun, but Claire Thompson is off to Spain to represent Scotland in the Master’s Hockey World Cup
is drawn from all over Scotland. We have the Home Countries Tournament in Swansea too, so lots to play for.” Before jetting off to Spain, Claire has a full diary of training overseen by a coach which will include playing tournaments and a strict running and core exercise programme. She’s hoping for some Scottish sunshine along the way to help her get acclimatised for Spain, where he temperatures are likely to be around 30C. All this must fit around her twin jobs - running a gourmet pet treats business and her marketing and business consultancy. Claire has also part of the Scottish Master’s squash team, which starts at 35 years old, on and off for the past 17 years. Squash was a hobby she took up as a school pupil to support her fitness levels for playing hockey. Two sports – and two Scottish caps in one season - is quite a feat. They say life begins at 40 and Claire was 42 when she was selected as part of the GB veterans of squash, heading out to Johannesburg in South Africa to compete in a tournament. Another sponsor-money raising occasion. With the squash season now over for another year, having just competed in the Home Nations
www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com
in Cardiff where the team were second, with Claire winning all her games, means her full focus is now on hockey and her World Cup commitments. A keen home baker, Claire joined the SWI last year and enjoys attending meetings at Harburn, part of the West Lothian Federation. IT’S NEVER TOO LATE “It’s never too late” is the strapline of the Exim Master’s World Cup taking place in Spain from July 27 to August 5 and that seems to sum up the Claire’s sporting story to a T. A serious sporting injury put paid to the hobby in which she excelled in her youth – she had been part of the Scottish under 21 squad – but now she’s going to represent Scotland in the team selected for the master’s Hockey World Cup. Claire hopes that her experience might encourage others to revisit a forgotten activity, sporting or otherwise. “Sport was always part of my life. It’s great being back and I’m really pleased at the opportunities that it’s presenting.” A total of 132 male and female teams, all featuring top master’s hockey players from 31 countries will compete in the World Cup. For more information see http:// wcmasters2018.eu/ 91