If Kate Walsh wasn’t England and Great Britain’s hockey captain, she would be relishing a career in the fashion industry. The 32-year-old is better known as the steely competitor who has overcome serious injuries and dreadful disappointment to earn respect as the inspiration behind the teams’ podium finishes in the past two years.
Widely acknowledged as one of the world’s most formidable and gutsy defenders, the recent run of successes has brought welcome spin-offs. There was the much-publicised knockabout at the Olympic Park with another Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, while on Saturday she presented the Derby trophy to Aidan O’Brien and his son as the Queen looked on.
And, in what she describes as a real treat, she combined her two great passions by working with Stella McCartney and her team designing the Great Britain kit for the Games. “She showed how sportswear and fashion can work together perfectly,” Walsh says.
“Long-haul flights are a dream for me because I can lose myself reading fashion magazines,” she says. “Once the pressure of the Olympics is off, I’ll enjoy going to London Fashion Weekend and designer sales in Brick Lane.”
Walsh’s personality profile reveals that her dominant colours are green (caring and nurturing) and red (driving, dominant, making sure it happens) — superbly summing up her qualities as a captain.
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The Olympic pitch features a striking blue and pink surface, and Walsh is confident the team’s performances will be just as bold. “We’ve trained there so many times and playing at home is a huge advantage,” she says. “We all have belief now and that’s very powerful.” The most experienced player in the squad, with a combined total of 287 appearances for England and Britain, she is always the players’ unanimous choice as captain.
Danny Kerry, the head coach, confesses that, despite some stormy arguments, they enjoy a healthy relationship. “Physically she has huge courage and can front up to players who don’t meet required standards,” Kerry says. “She’s a very emotional person but now she’s older and wiser she uses that brilliantly and the whole squad know what this journey means to her.”
There have been some painful moments along the way. Walsh cites the 2003 European Championships as the moment things started to go wrong, and she was devastated when Britain failed to qualify for the 2004 Athens Olympics. She admits that she felt responsible as captain and personally appealed to the authorities for continued funding when it hung in the balance. “We had been coasting and needed dramatic change in a few areas,” she says. “I was sick of coming sixth and wanted to be in the medals. I cried a lot and even more so in Athens when I used to take the spectators’ bus knowing that I should have been on the athletes’ coach.”
In the aftermath of Athens she and Kerry established what was acceptable.Funding was secured and in 2009 a central programme was launched at Bisham Abbey. “We are all completely professional now,” she says. “It’s our job and even the Dutch and Argentinians talk about us as medal prospects. That’s unheard of.”
The Games could result in a double family celebration with Kate’s younger sister, Rachel, herself a former England player, married to Taeke Taekema, the Dutch penalty-corner star who sank the British men’s hopes of a semi-final place in Beijing.
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In the countdown to her third Olympics, Walsh’s next challenge is the Investec London Cup, Britain’s last significant event before the Games. The six teams taking part, including the Netherlands, the Olympic champions, and Australia and Germany, the former Olympic champions , will each play two preliminary games, with the top four teams progressing to the semi-finals.
Rebecca Herbert, Kerry Williams and Susie Gilbert have been called in to the team after injuries to Crista Cullen, Alex Danson and Sarah Thomas.
Investec London Cup
Today: Netherlands v Australia (2pm);
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Great Britain v South Africa (4.30pm).
Tomorrow: Ireland v Australia (5.30pm);
South Africa v Germany (8pm).
Thursday: Ireland v Netherlands (5.30pm);
Great Britain v Germany (8pm).
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Saturday: Semi-final 1 (2.30pm);
semi-final 2 (5pm).
Sunday: Fifth/sixth play-off (10.30am); bronze medal play-off (1.30pm); final (4pm).
For tickets visit:
greatbritainhockey.co.uk/investeclondoncup