Steph keeps her eye on gold
THREE months out of the game has done little to derail Stephanie Kershaw’s ambitions for Olympic gold.
If anything it has only made her drive more palpable.
The Townsville hockey star was finally able to resume training with the Hockeyroos and the competitive edge that has them steeled for a shot at Tokyo glory was still there.
It never stopped, Kershaw said.
Given the squad are based in Perth, the national sides have been able to operate under different COVID-19 guidelines from the rest of the country. While Queensland will have to wait until July to resume contact sport, Kershaw and her teammates have just begun that phase after two weeks of largely fitness and skills testing.
She took a little bit to find her stride, but the 25-year-old has rediscovered her motor as she seeks to put her injury history behind her and finally realise her Olympic dreams.
If anything, after such an extensive lay off, the return was backed by even more intensity than expected.
“Hockey is funny because no matter how much you run it’s a whole other ball game. You have to be so low and it’s a whole different type of fitness,” Kershaw said.
“There was a little bit of rust, it’s always hard with hockey – even with just a week off your touch is off.
“I think whenever you aren’t allowed to play something you love it’s a bit of an eye opener and it shows you how much you miss it.
“I think there’s been a lot of girls go through the thought it’s something they love doing and everyone wants to get out there. As soon as you take something away it makes it so obvious how much you love it.”
Kershaw will line up for the South Perth Wasps in the Western Australia premier league.
While she was infrequently lined up for them, her international commitments have kept her from playing a full season.
But as travel restrictions remain in place she said there was a much stronger emphasis on the club scene.
It has set the stage for arguably the most prominent local landscape the sport has had in some time.
Kershaw believes the calibre of the WA competitions would serve as ideal preparation for the national stage — particularly given she feels targeted on the turf due to her rising stature in the game.
However with the Olympics on the horizon the goal is to get contests into the calendar against fellow international players, with New Zealand the most likely suitor.
Without those games, Kershaw admits the Hockeyroos could be at a disadvantage to their European counterparts. “It’s still really up in the air, obviously with the Olympics next year some of the focus is on getting games against other countries,” she said.