Black Sticks hockey star Grace O’Hanlon is o top of the world right now, recently named the world’s number-one goalkeeper, but her heroics haven’t been restricted to the hockey turf. Late last year, the 33-year-old earned praise for her “humanity, selflessness and civic duty” after pulling a drowning man from the sea while on holiday on the Greek island of Mykonos. Oh, and she recently bought her first home in Auckland with her partner Ruth Bowerman.
However, it’s not that long ago that Grace was at her lowest ebb and on the verge of giving hockey away. A badly broken arm, coupled with the heartache of the Black Sticks missing out on the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, had left her at a crossroads.
Ruth understands the highs and lows of the game through her career as a sports media specialist. Her experience helped Grace navigate an “extremely challenging” time.
“In every aspect of my life, nothing was quite lining up,” recalls Grace, who also works full-time as an investment analyst.
“It can be a tough and very transformational time when you think your sporting career may be over.”
Rising stronger
Bouncing back after nearly giving it all away makes Grace’s award more meaningful, says Ruth, 32.
“Having the strength to ride through that, then perform at the highest level, makes you appreciate it even more.”
A life-saving moment in Mykonos
Just a few months before she became the first New Zealander to win a senior international hockey award late last year, Grace was in Mykonos for her sister’s wedding. While there, she spotted a body floating in the sea. She swam out to find an unconscious man face-down in the water and towed him back to the beach, where Ruth called for help. Grace, Ruth and another passerby took turns performing CPR until paramedics arrived, but the man was later pronounced dead.
For her “immediate and courageous” actions, Grace received a letter of “deepest respect and gratitude” from the commander of the Mykonos Port Authority. Grace says, “It was a stark reminder to get your first-aid certificate renewed. You never know when you’ll need it.”
An unexpected honour
Just a few months later, the hero was “so shocked” to receive her champion player award in November last year.
“I didn’t think I’d win it,” she says.
“I didn’t realise what was happening!”
A surprise celebration
Ruth was part of the surprise announcement, convincing Grace they were meeting friends for a midweek beer at their local pub.
“A lot of my friends have been doing fantastic things lately, so when I walked in and saw a ‘Congratulations!’ sign, I thought it was for somebody else,” Grace laughs.
It wasn’t until her former Black Sticks teammates Sam Charlton and Liz Thompson delivered the news that she realised she’d been voted the International Hockey Federation’s Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year.
Performing under pressure
She knows the award carries more pressure.
“You’re only ever as good as your last game,” Grace says.
“So that’s the next focus – continuing to perform but under extra pressure.”
She’s grateful for Ruth’s ongoing support. Grace was in London playing for the Surbiton Sparks when she first met Ruth, who was working with England Hockey on their 2018 World Cup campaign.
A love story across continents
Grace recalls, “I was only there for two more months, so we saw it as a casual situation.”
But they were smitten. After a year of long-distance, Ruth moved to New Zealand in early 2020.
Starting a new chapter in New Zealand
“I was ready for something a bit different, so why not go to the furthest place from London and my family?” she smiles.
“Through lockdown, we were spending every minute of every day together – it was a real make-or-break year!”
Settling in easily, Ruth’s worked for several New Zealand sports organisations and is now media manager for the Ironman Group Oceania. She’s also made new friends playing club football. The couple share their central Auckland villa with cat Pumpkin and border collie Mishi, and thanks to their athletic backgrounds, they have unique insights into each other’s challenges.
Grace says her partner has been an ongoing support in the build-up to the Hockey World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands in August.
Partners in elite sport
Grace explains, “With the work she does, Ruth really understands elite sport – the commitment, emotion and demands that maybe others don’t see. That’s something I treasure. It’s made my career so much easier.”
And Ruth couldn’t be prouder, telling us, “Grace has ridden every wave with hockey. It’s the thing that makes her happiest and sometimes saddest. But she’s determined to keep performing at her best and still be there supporting the young players – all that alongside a super-demanding job she loves. To do both, I’m in awe of her.”
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