McCaw: I’m a smarter player now
Gemma McCaw believes motherhood has made her smarter as she works her way back into the international scene.
McCaw and husband, All Blacks great Richie, are the proud parents of Charlotte who is approaching her first birthday in December.
While rugby is off the table for Richie, Gemma is back in the Black Sticks squad and eyeing a place at the Tokyo Olympics next year.
She says he has had to be clever with her juggling act and feels she is making progress in her bid for a fourth Olympics appearance.
‘‘The physical side was tough but I started with small steps and just continued to work when I could. And probably being a mum you just train a little bit smarter,’’ McCaw told Radio Sport.
‘‘You don’t have hours on end, so you have to get in and just do as well as you can. And it gives you that perspective as well.’’
McCaw said finding the necessary fitness to compete at this level again had been her biggest challenge.
‘‘You’re put right back to square one once you have a baby. And you virtually don’t have much fitness,’’ she said.
‘‘I went from being able to exercise rigorously and train really hard to not being able to do much. And as you know, babies need feeding every few hours on that schedule.
‘‘So that was hard and I guess that was the difficult thing to balance was the feeding and the training and the sleeping, and getting all of that into a good routine.’’
But she feels her new life experience can help her return.
‘‘I’ve had that experience of motherhood which doesn’t ever stop. So that’s probably a little bit harder than a game of hockey.’’.
McCaw, 29, admitted her return had probably surprised even herself.
‘‘A year ago just before having Charlotte I didn’t think I’d probably be lining up back in the team. But [I’m] grateful for the opportunity and very excited with the year ahead and what’s to come,’’ she told Radio Sport.
She felt there was ‘‘unfinished business’’ with the Black Sticks after finishing fourth in Rio, a repeat of their 2012 London campaign where a breakthrough medal eluded them as well.
‘‘A little tiny part of me felt that there was a little bit of unfinished business – a disappointing way to finish in Rio,’’ McCaw said.
‘‘I felt like I really missed getting out there with the girls and playing the sport that I always loved. I filled in for a club hockey game when Charlotte was four months old and I kind of crossed the line out onto the field and I had that white line fever again. ‘‘That’s where it all started.’’ The Black Sticks also have Kayla Whitelock back in their mix as they ramp up their Olympics campaign.