After 18 years, Olympic gold and bronze medals, an MBE, a record 203 England caps, a record 103 Great Britain appearances and numerous other accolades and honours, Alex Danson penned an emotional full stop on one of hockey’s most remarkable careers this week.
She also outlined a belief that moving into this next phase of life – a decision framed, but not exclusively decided, by the brain injury she suffered in September 2018 – can have an even deeper purpose. “For 18 years, every decision I made was around: ‘Will this make me better?’” she says. “My heart is in a multitude of places now but my intention is clear – it’s serve others and in some ways that will hopefully lead to an even more meaningful outcome.
“I have no doubt I’ll find a new challenge. I want to give back in terms of coaching and I’d love to do something with regards to head injuries. It’s an area I would love to have some opportunity to influence.”
It is a subject on which Danson can speak with the most personal experience. She was on holiday with her boyfriend, who she has since married, when she hit her head against a brick wall while laughing at a joke. She would wake every hour the following night but initially tried to continue as normal. Extreme headaches and sensitivity to noise and light followed. She struggled to talk and could barely leave a darkened room for a month.
It was extraordinary, then, that Danson should even attempt a hockey comeback six weeks ago. That never progressed to a full contact training session and, with more mild headaches still a daily occurence, the risk of further injury also formed part of her decision.
“If I was 22 there is no doubt I would be back playing,” she says. “I’m 34 and I have to consider my long-term health and my family. There is very little research about multiple head injuries and I can’t go back to where I was. Who knows if I get hit again whether the same doesn’t happen or, heaven forbid, it’s worse. The chances are I’ll be fine but the way I play is very physical. I get hit a lot, dive around and put myself in dangerous positions.”
