Former King’s College Taunton pupil Maddie Hinch was part of the GB Women’s Hockey Team which won Gold against the Netherlands at the Rio Olympics, helping her GB hockey teammates to the first Olympic gold in this sport.
Commenting on her achievements, Director of Sport at King’s Nick Gresswell said “All the Olympic matches have been exciting to watch, but the final was amazing! Maddie’s recent achievements for the England and GB teams have simply been outstanding, and to have the privilege of watching her represent Great Britain at the Rio 2016 Olympics and to see her win a gold medal is an absolute thrill. King’s College as a whole is very proud of her success. Former and current staff who worked with Maddie as a young athlete are all watching with huge anticipation and excitement. Not only have there been wonderful messages of support from ex-pupils but also an incredible interest from current pupils inspired by Maddie’s work ethic and talent.”
Nick Cresswell went on to say “She has always been a great ambassador for the sport. Always willing to engage with the next generation of sportsmen and women, giving her time readily to inspire and motivate others towards their goals. Maddie is fondly remembered at school by many as a dedicated and enthusiastic young woman who embraced many opportunities with a wonderful smile and winning personality.”
Sports Coach Steve Shaw, who worked alongside Maddie added: “It is amazing to see that Maddie has achieved one of her dreams of becoming an Olympian. She has had to overcome adversity and disappointment after not being selected for London 2012 and even earlier in her career when she was not selected for the county and regional sides– an England call up was looking a long way off back then! Look at her now with an Olympic gold medal! I will always say that I was lucky enough to work with her at King’s and at Somerset and the regional tournament. Maddie has always had that special ability to turn a game around with her ‘keeping and leads with her performances in training and on the pitch. She has always shown immense dedication to her hockey and her legacy at King’s is evident: we have a wealth of talented young goalkeepers attempting to follow in her footsteps. Our abiding memories are always of Maddie’s smile, and the fact that she enjoys the experience – the mark of a true sporting role model.”
The photo shows Maddie Hinch and Sports Coach Steve Shaw