My mum will still be with me on the ice
TRAGIC LOSS OF MOTHER MICHELLE INSPIRING GB STAR HEADLAND TO REACH WINTER OLYMPICS
ONE supporter will be with Aimee Headland in spirit, if not in person, when the ice hockey star embarks on what she hopes will be the adventure of a lifetime this weekend.
The 19-year-old will take an emotional moment to reflect at the Nottingham Arena before helping Great Britain’s women try to take a huge step towards qualifying for the Winter Olympics in Beijing in February.
By rights, her mum Michelle should have been there to cheer her on, just as she had always done in a career that has taken Headland from England to Scotland to Canada and now the United States, where she plays for Norwich University in Vermont in the NCAA.
However, tragedy struck in 2017 when Michelle lost her battle with cancer. She had travelled everywhere with Headland, her sister Chloe and brother Matthew, who also play ice hockey, to support them whenever she could.
But the Great Britain star insists her beloved mum will still be watching over her as she sets off on what could be one of the defining moments of her career.
‘All the coaches and my family have all played a part (in my career) but the biggest contributor was undoubtedly my mum,’ said Headland.
‘It means the world to know she will be with me on the ice. She’s the biggest reason I play every time. I fight and give everything I can for her.
‘She keeps me going when I feel I can’t. She’s always there for me and that’ll never change as I move on in my career.
‘My mum fell sick around the time Chloe and I were first called into the GB team. She knew I’d been called up and was so proud that both of her daughters had made it.
‘Her illness meant she wasn’t able to fly or watch us, but, ever since I first put that GB jersey on, she’s always been with me.
‘If these Olympic qualifiers had been held in Korea as planned, she would have moved everything to be there. That’s the sort of mum she was. But I know she’s watching us and she’s leading the biggest fan base up there. It’s exciting to know she’ll be there.
‘I always carry her with me on the ice in my own way and that will always be special.’
Headland will also be back where it all began for her in her birthplace of Nottingham as Mike Clancy’s team take their first steps on the ice towards a coveted place in Beijing.
While she spent many years living in Glenrothes and learning about the game in Fife, all roads have ultimately led her back to the Midlands where Team GB will make huge progress if they win their four-team group.
‘It’s massive to be part of this weekend in front of our home fans with such a big opportunity,’ said Headland. ‘It is definitely inspiring to know there could be a place in the Winter Olympics in Beijing. Even just having that chance is mindblowing.
‘It’s what all athletes dream about and it’s great to know that the dream, as a child, could become a reality if we can be successful. Having family and friends coming to watch as well is unbelievable.’
Clancy’s side need to negotiate a way past Iceland today, Slovenia tomorrow then South Korea on Sunday to make the next qualifying stage.
Only the winners will make it through to what will be a much tougher group where hosts Czech Republic, Hungary and Norway lie in wait next month.
This stage was meant to be hosted in the city of Gangneung in South Korea, hosts of the 2018 Winter Olympics, but was switched to Nottingham last month because of Covid restrictions.
Tickets have sold so well that it’s now the biggest women’s ice hockey event ever held in the UK.
For Headland, the chance to represent her country on home soil — or, rather, ice — is an exciting one.
However, she will go into these qualifiers without sister, Chloe, who was initially selected but chose to pull out last month.
‘Not having Chloe in the team with me will definitely be different,’ she said. ‘From my first tournament with GB, she’s always been there, so it’s strange to not have her in the team — especially considering it’s such a big tournament as well.
‘It’s going to be weird. I know she’ll be cheering us on and, hopefully, she’ll be with us in the next round if we make it.’
The GB women’s team saw a change in coach when Cheryl Smith left the post in March and was replaced by Clancy, who is overseeing his first tournament. Headland is enjoying working with him and reckons he has come into the role with a good idea of what the team can achieve.
She believes success for GB’s ice hockey stars in the coming weeks can inspire more females to take up the sport.
‘Mike Clancy knows what he wants and knows the potential of the team,’ said the teenager. ‘He’s doing everything to get us to where he knows we can be. ‘He’s come in and knows the role, which he’s executed from day one.
‘If we succeed, the amount of girls who would show an interest, get involved and want to play would flow.
‘The support we’ve had from it just being in Nottingham... I know people who are desperate to come because of the mention of it being Olympic qualifiers.
‘It will be a big step forward for women’s hockey and the amount of coverage will definitely take it to the next level.’