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My name is Alex Danson and I play as a forward for the England and Great Britain hockey team.

Winning the gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games 

Rio now seems like a really long time ago. It was the most memorable part of my life and when I look back we were just the most fantastic team. There were no superstars, there were no individuals.

But it’s not just the memory of the moment. It’s what it took to get there and that’s what makes it really special. Inspiring the future is hugely important to every one of us.

Planning and preparation

Looking forward is the best part of sport. There’s always more to try and achieve and we’ve got a fantastic new squad. You have to believe that you can win as a team.

We plan for everything. As a high-performing team, we are forever reviewing and I love being around women that are equally driven.

Creating a legacy  

When we were at school there was no opportunity for a young girl to be a full-time athlete. We have come so far. There is still so much further to go.

I believe the philosophy from out senior women’s team it does filter down through to our grassroot levels.

I would have character over talent every day because you can learn skills, you can learn how to do things but if you want it more than the next person you’d have that teammate stood next to you.

‘When we were at school there was no opportunity for a young girl to be a full-time athlete.’

When we walk on to the field we are together.

My greatest hope for the future of women’s GB hockey is our legacy transcends Olympic cycles. That young girls growing up know that they can be full-time hockey players.

That we’re able to recreate success and we never lose sight of how we do that and that’s because we’re a team.