Asheigh Ball, Brighton
Hockey
"The squad is here to win gold at the Olympics. It’s a very important time to engage youngsters, who will be the future stars of our sport"
How did you get started?
Brighton born Ashleigh, 26, was interested in sport from an early age. “I was quite sporty and enthusiastic about trying most things when I was little. But I don’t think I was specifically the ‘sporty’ girl – I was really into a lot of things, I played instruments for a while, I learned to play the piano, I did a bit of everything. I started playing hockey when I was 10. My love for it grew from then and I got really serious when I went to Leeds Uni.” Graduating in Medical Sciences in 2007, Ashleigh became a key member of the Slough club squad as a midfielder. She becambe a regular fixture in the England and GB squads soon after. Ashleigh broke a bone in her left hand four minutes into her debut for the England indoor team against Scotland in December 2007 and nine months later, broke the same bone again. She now plays with a protective glove.
Greatest achievements
2012 Champions Trophy silver (GB)
2010 World Cup bronze (England)
2010 Champions Trophy bronze (England)
2010 Commonwealth Games bronze (England)
Prospects for 2012
With only Netherlands from the big four in their group, GB can be confident of moving beyond the preliminaries. And given its home advantage, the women’s team can seriously aim to emulate the success of the glorious gold medal winning men’s squad of 1988.
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