Mental toughness, leadership and a never-say-die attitude.
Those are the three virtues three-time Olympic gold medallist Rechelle Hawkes stressed in her keynote speech at Friday morning’s Peel Sports Forum at the Mandurah Offshore Fishing and Sailing Club.
Speaking on the importance of resilience in sport, Hawkes regaled tails from her star-studded playing days and touched on the hardships she was forced to overcome on her way to international glory in her field.
The dejection of being cut from the WA state under 19s team, the physical pain of overcoming compartment syndrome and the heartbreak of a derailed 1992 Olympic campaign all stood in the way of Hawkes becoming one of hockey’s all-time greats.
But the country girl had family support and a mindset that didn’t allow her to quit, as she rose through the ranks to become one of the most successful hockey players in Australian history.
Citing her own story with examples of sporting legend Michael Jordan and Johnathan Thurston, Hawkes pressed her hard journey on the Peel Sports Forum crowd, giving the region’s local athletes rare insight as to what it takes to reach the pinnacle.
The guest speaker said it was a passion of her’s to help grassroots athletes, particularly young people going through similar challenges to what she experienced.
“Getting out to the regions and sharing what I went through on my journey is so important to me, because I know it can help others who are on their own paths,” she said.
“I wanted to quit, to pack it in, so many times before I even reached the Australian team, and so many times after, but the rewards I got for staying the course were beyond worth it.
“I don’t want any of our young athletes to quit, because who knows the kind of potential they have?
“It’s very important to me to share what I went through, to make sure our future generation remain strong and keep pushing themselves, because that’s what makes Australian sport so great.”
The Peel Sports Forum will run for most of the day, with a panel discussion and information session giving Mandurah’s local clubs and ogranisations the chance to improve their sectors.
The event was organised by Sport and Recreation Peel.