The dawn of a new dao: ice hockey

I’m from Minnesota, which is called the State of Hockey. The main coffee shop chain, Caribou Coffee, has a hockey theme on cups, etc in the winter – it’s part of my culture.

I grew up in the snow and on the ice and since I left permanently in 1997 I’ve missed it immensely. I played hockey with wooden sticks with my brothers and sisters at the rink at the end of the road, but never played on a team until I started five years ago with the Knights in Slough.

In Minnesota, in my early 20s, I had been approached by some women at a rink who saw me skate, asking if I’d like to join their team. Then I travelled the world for many years and forgot I could skate.

It all began when I told my 11-year-old son he had to do one team sport – and since he could already skate and rollerblade I enrolled him in ice hockey.

At one training session another mother told me she played on a women’s team in Bracknell. When I heard that I thought, I know I skate better than her so if she can do it so can I.

Of course, I had only ever skated outdoors – and when I realised I could skate indoors, the light flicked on!

I then went around trying out different teams until I found the Windsor Knights. I joined with another mum at the rink whose husband was goalie for the Knights.

Since then, I’ve played on a British league women’s ice hockey team and in January an over-40s team in Italy. I’m far from being retired from ice hockey even though I’m usually the oldest on the ice and in roller hockey.

I talk about doing what sparks joy with people every day in the clinic – and I encourage getting stronger, which is just what’s happened to me.

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