White nurtured to stardom

Nicola White fights off a challenge from South Korea's Hyelyoung Han during the Visa International Invitation Tournament.

Great Britain star Nicola’s tribute to her teachers

AS Nicola White prepares to make her Olympic bow, the Great Britain hockey star has paid tribute to the Hulme Grammar teachers who helped her take the first steps on the path to glory.

The 24 year old, who plays club hockey for Slough, is part of Danny Kerry’s 18-strong squad for London 2012 and has been an ever-present for more than two years. She has 74 caps for Great Britain and England.

Nicola first picked up the stick at the age of seven, under the expert guidance of PE teacher Penny Moorfield at Escourt Preparatory School.

Her role model’s involvement with county hockey associations led to invitations to trials for Greater Manchester at the age of 11.

She got her club career under way at Saddleworth before turning 12, prior to spells with Brooklands HC, Poynton and, later on, Loughborough Students.

At the start of her teenage years, White also started training at the North of England Academy and was chosen to represent them at under-15 and under-17 level.

"I was very lucky to be able to start playing at such an early age and to get such great support from the whole school throughout my time there,” she said.

“I have very fond memories of my PE teachers.

"Saddleworth was great as a first club; I joined with my school friends. They could see my potential and gave me plenty of encouragement.”

National success in the sport looked a million miles away, let alone an Olympics appearance, and White contemplated pursuing a career in athletics.

But during preaprations for the athletics season she returned to former hockey club, Poynton, where coach Ann Dutoy put her forward for the England under-21 trials.

Things began to take shape. White established herself in the under-21s and went on to win gold at the Australian Youth Olympic festival in 2009, returning home to an email inviting her to the senior England set-up.

She continued: "I really didn't think my time was going to come in hockey and I knew I wanted to be an Olympian.

A senior England debut in June 2009 in Germany was capped by a goal, and her first appearance for Great Britain followed six months later against the mighty Argentina, prior to a character-shaping Commonwealth Games.

White is one of the first names on the teamsheet and can’t wait to pit her wits against the cream of the crop this summer.

She added: “We are as prepared as we could be and we have one goal in mind — to come away with gold."




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