Run of 'fortune' could lead to rich reward for Emily Maguire

Assistant Sports Editor

Friday 22 June 2012

ONE of the things you notice in conversation with Emily Maguire is her apparent habit of attributing achievements to good fortune.

Emily Maguire has had to cope with increased levels of attention as the London Olympics draw closer

Custom byline text:

Richard Winton

The 24-year-old was "lucky" that her local hockey club in Paisley was among the best in Scotland; "lucky" that she received club, county and national recognition; "lucky" that her university degree culminated just weeks before she was invited to join the GB squad; "lucky" that she is able to play the sport full-time.

Yet to suggest such development was brought about by chance rather than her own actions is entirely disingenuous. Maguire, after all, is a key member of the most painstakingly prepared British hockey team to engage in international conflict and one with an Olympic gold medal fixed firmly in their sights.Seeded fourth for the Olympics, their progress since a core squad were gathered around a newly established national hub in late 2009 has been remarkable; the increased opportunity for training and access to sport science professionals enabling a relatively young group to accelerate their development. "Gold has become a bit of a buzz word for us and we train with a gold-medal standard and gold-medal mentality," explains Maguire. "I know that all the girls believe it and that's such a powerful thing because a couple of years ago, when we started the programme, I'm not sure everyone had fully bought into it."Whatever happens, being part of the Olympic jamboree in London will have vindicated Maguire's decision to leave Scotland, and the Kelburne club which she represented with such distinction, for Reading two-and-a-half years ago. With just 16 members of the 28-strong training group being selected, the past few months have been an anxious time but all the moments of doubt, worry and hope paled in comparison to the night before the announcement last month.Having been told that they would be informed by email at 8am the following morning, Maguire opted to stay up late in the hope of getting some sleep. However, by 7am she was up pacing the floor and agitatedly refreshing her email account in anticipation. "It was a pretty difficult morning to say the least," she recalls. "It was such a mix of emotions; relief because it was a massive weight off my shoulders, excitement at the chance to go to the Olympics, and pride at representing not only my country but also the whole squad." Those emotions are only intensified by the familiarity of facing Japan, South Korea, Belgium, China and world No.1s Netherlands at the 16,000-capacity Riverbank Arena in London. Yet while Maguire has dreamed of being an Olympian since childhood, she remains realistic enough to appreciate that the unique circumstances of these games will present new challenges in terms of the demands upon British athletes.From the official announcement of the team being held at the London Stock Exchange to publicised outings to the likes of the Epsom Derby, the players have found themselves subject to an unusual level of attention but the assiduous preparations have taken such celebrity into account. A welter of meetings with psychologists have addressed expectations, while the squad will spend only a couple days enjoying the athletes' village before withdrawing to concentrate on competition. "We've been so meticulous I don't think there's any danger we'd let the excitement get on top of us," Maguire insists. "I'm not going to lie, it's new for me and a bit strange; I just play hockey but people have been so excited and engaged with us. But the important thing is to view any perceived pressure or expectation as support. These people just want you to do well."Such burdens have never weighed particularly heavily on Maguire, who claims to have almost stumbled through to this point. Having first taken up hockey at the age of five after watching older brother Paul play, she quietly advanced through the ranks at Kelburne, then the Scotland set-up, before being invited to join the British squad full-time upon the completion of her maths degree at Glasgow University. There was, she insists, no eureka moment and the very notion of hockey as a full-time career never entered her head as she neared graduation. With that in mind, asking what happens after the high of London seems forlorn. "You think the Olympics is going to be the perfect tournament but it doesn't always work out like that," Maguire reflects. "It might be the peak of my career and you might struggle to ever replicate that excitement but you never know. "Some of us will have decisions to make about what to do next but I love doing what I do and it would be very difficult to give up. Besides, hockey makes you feel like Peter Pan – young forever – so I'm in no hurry to move into the real world quite yet."With a bit of luck, when Maguire finally does so it will be with a gold medal to her name.

Commenting & Moderation

We moderate all comments on HeraldScotland on either a pre-moderated or post-moderated basis. If you're a relatively new user then your comments will be reviewed before publication and if we know you well then your comments will be subject to moderation only if other users or the moderators believe you've broken the rules, which are available here.

Moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. Please be patient if your posts are not approved instantly.

Run of 'fortune' could lead to rich reward for Emily Maguire

Commenting & Moderation

MOST READ

SPONSORED LINKS

MOST COMMENTED