I still remember when I picked up a stick for the first time when I was just 5 years old.  As a result of suffering from ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), I was already out of control, and in far more trouble than I should have been. I was introduced to hockey by my neighbour Alf, who made a promise to my mother that he would take me to hockey the following Sunday. The plan was that he would bring me back home worn out. Alf kept his promise and took me to hockey, but I didn’t come back worn out, I came back more hyper than ever.

I didn’t find out  I had a learning disability until 2000, and when I was at school I struggled to control the effects of ADHD and had problems from almost day one. I had very little self-esteem at school, and was in trouble on a daily basis.

Hockey was the only thing that kept me happy, when I was at hockey I was made to feel talented, the people there made me feel like I was worth something. I know my life would have turned out very differently if I had not played sport, and it is makes me shudder to think how different my life would have turned out. My journey from naughty 5 year old to Olympian was not an easy one, there were many challenges overcome, and numerous barriers broken along the way.

My story on the site starts from the very beginning and continues up to the present day. It is a story that I hope inspires young players to gain the belief that they too can achieve their dreams. My story proves that you don’t have to be rich, you don’t even have to play hockey at school. All you need is a dream, and then the desire in your heart to go and achieve it.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 6th, 2007 at 12:32 pm and is filed under My Story. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.