Every so often in life you will come across someone you admire. Someone who has the talent, commitment, passion and desire that you can only dream of. It is a unique combination, a blend of the will to succeed but also the talent to allow that will to flourish. These people are from all walks of life, in politics, sport, music, drama. They are confident, but not cocky. Affable, but won’t take any crap. The leader, the protagonist, the soloist. The captain.
Today, Irish hockey lost a leader. Captain Eimear Cregan (aka Creggie aka peanut head) has been forced to retire from the game she loves due to injury. Having amassed an incredible 171 caps for her country, she is the most capped female Irish player of all time. A phenomenal achievement made all the more special considering Cregs has played with constant pain for the past 6 years of her career.
I am so thankful that my hockey career thus far has been injury free (touch wood) bar a broken finger. In the past few weeks, however, I have had a couple of little niggles, nothing major or enough to stop me from training but always there none-the-less. It got me to thinking about how players cope with injuries that require constant monitoring. On the physio table every day. Icing their ails after every session. Playing through the pain barrier, pain that no-one else can feel.
This pretty much sums Eimear up. Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of playing with or against her knows how talented she is, about her determination and work-rate, and of course, her sublime skills. What people may not have realised was that she did all this nursing degenerative arthritis in both knees. And the rest. After matches and training she had the usual two bags of ice strapped around her swollen knees. Such commitment is unrivalled. But something I admire more than anything else is that she played exactly the same way every time she step foot on the turf. No-one was ever fully aware of her suffering, simply because she didn’t let it show. She never sought sympathy, never wanted to come off, always humble and always, always, a great leader.
I am so proud to say I have played with Creggie for my entire international career. I can vouch for the rest of the girls on the squad when I say I am gutted she has been forced to retire. Quitting is something she was never any good at, and I know for sure how devastating this decision has been for her. She is a true legend of the game, and a huge hole has been left in the heart of Irish hockey. We will miss her banter but I am sure she will never be far from the side-line, supporting us all the way. A special person and a special player.
Cheers Cregs. It’s been a pleasure.
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