Rosie Malone

ABOUT

Name: Ambrosia (Rosie) Malone

Age (in 2015): 17

Sport: Hockey

Coach/s: Brent Livermore and Des King


RESULTS

Best international result/s: Member of the 2014 School Sport Australia National Hockey team, which was undefeated in the Three Test Series in South Africa,

Major goal for 2015: Selection in the Hockey Australia National Junior Team for the 2016 Hockey Junior World Cup

Most memorable sporting moment: There have been quite a few, but beating NSW in the Australian Schoolgirls Nationals finals last year was a real thrill, particularly because, I was captain of the Qld team, I was named Player of the Nationals and was named in the Australian U16 Schoolgirls team for the second year.

Biggest challenge you have faced: Definitely when I was 14, and had to get the courage to get back onto the hockey field for the U15 Hockey Australia Nationals after having microsurgery to save the top third of my finger which had been amputated and broken by a ball at the Schoolgirls nationals in Hobart only 6 weeks earlier.

What do you like most about your sport? Hockey is just such a challenging sport, and I love that about it. You have to be able to control that rock-hard little white ball way down on the end of your stick - but at the same time be aware of where everyone on your own team is (as well as the other team), on such a big field.

Hockey is just so fast and hard, with so much excitement and big hitting - and I do love playing as part of a team. I seem to feel more pressure with an individual sport and I know if I didn’t play a team sport I’d really miss the mateship. Also the unpredictability of hockey keeps me completely focussed through every game.

Who/what inspires you to achieve your best in sport? Every other athlete I’ve ever watched has had something to do with inspiring me to be my best in sport. My family are all pretty sports-mad and I guess even as a baby I was watching different athletes achieve amazing things on television. Even though I wouldn’t have known what was going on I suppose over time I just picked up on the thrill of what it meant to do your best. I don’t really know who I would say is my inspiration because there have been so many people who have helped me along the way. Some great teachers at my school, some amazing hockey and football coaches, of course my family and friends, and then there are all the incredibly talented people like Luciana Aymar or Layne Beachley or Tim Cahill who somehow find ways to go beyond great.

I was lucky enough to have a really wonderful athletics coach when I was younger, called Mr J, and he taught me that you really need to be the one to inspire yourself. I can get inspiration from watching someone else achieve, from knowing how much I want something, or from feeling like I didn’t do my best at something. I love making the people I love proud, and the roar of the crowd if I make a good run through the opposition – but at the end of the day I have to be out there inspiring myself to keep going even when things are tough. Mr J’s only instruction before any race was just to be in the best possible place I thought I could be at the finish line, and that winning meant nothing if you weren’t enjoying what you were doing, and I hope he’s proud of how much I’m achieving doing something I love so much!

Favourite food/drink: Spag Bol and caramel milkshakes (but I’d happily eat anything except capsicum, brains and liver!)

Favourite song/music: Sia

Favourite movie: This changes a lot – depending on my mood. I love The Notebook (but I have to watch it by myself so no-one sees me cry) and The Conjuring (definitely NOT to be watched by myself!)