An Olympic Games is a once in a lifetime opportunity - the Olympic Journey encompasses a lifetime of opportunities!
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About me
I'm Rachel Williams, an international hockey umpire and I am delighted to say I have been selected to umpire at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. This Fundrazr is aimed at raising funds to cover my expenses for training and preparation towards this once in a lifetime milestone. -
Context.
In 2023 I was a serving detective on a serious and organised crime group. I had exhausted my annual leave allowance and had already taken unpaid leave in order to make the most of the opportunities afforded to me at National, Continental and International levels. Similar to the players pathway, the 'big' appointments only came with solid performances at the qualifying events (which means lots of time away!). -
What this means.
As a volunteer in hockey, officials are not professional, nor paid. Whilst my career was fruitful, successful and I was on the promotion process in my chosen field, I chose to make the most of the opportunity on the horizon and do all I could to make it to Paris - though that was never guaranteed. - I put my career on hold to capitalise on the now. I sold my house, my car and my motorbike and I moved to New Zealand to study and allow myself the time and space to grow as an umpire, and human.
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What do I do
Now, the other side of the world, I am a Masters student which allows me to be in an environment focused on performance and growth. It may not be common knowledge, but being an umpire involves much more than just keeping fit and knowing the rules! The game is getting faster and faster, increasing the difficulty of our job as umpires. The money I am raising will allow me to work on different skills with multiple coaches who are all experts in their field. A strength and conditioning coach guides me through a program targeted on the physical demands of umpiring a game of hockey. I have also integrated a expert skills coach to enhance my off ball, peripheral visual training that will enhance my decision-making skills and autonomy and extra stimulus (for when the pressure in a game becomes high!). I'll also tap into sports psychology to improve mental toughness and my ability to cope with pressure. I also recently focused on training in heat and the adaptability of your body to that so will be training in a heat chamber (similar to my preparation for Mendoza, Argentina). Along my journey, there have been numerous expenses - not just the time cost of attending these events, the video reviewing time, travel time and time training. Expenses have and will include:
Gym membership
Strength and Conditioning Coaches
Reaction and spatial awareness training
Heat Chambers
Physical screening
Supplements
Footwear
DEXA scans
Flights
Sports Psychologists
On field clothing (including sewing in my own pockets!)
Student fees
Pitch hire (for fitness testing and running)
Massage
Physiotherapy
Podiatry and insoles
Recovery
Leadership skills training
Breathwork
Heart rate monitors
Communication development
Watches
Gymwear
Hotels prior to events/travel
I would love your support on this journey, in any way you can. I've added some 'wish' ideas so you can understand or nominate where your contribution goes!
Preparation is an incredible journey to be on. If anything more than my ambitious goal is reached, it will allow me to fund additional coaching sessions, and I would love to have the opportunity to upgrade my long flight to Paris with performance in mind - knowing that I will be required to perform on field just days after the 48 hour flight.
Perks
I am a member of the University of Waikato, Adams Centre for High Performance where I have access to world class facilities and coaches. I'm able to train alongside some of the best athletes in New Zealand (and the world!). The Adams Academy membership is an ongoing, weekly, commitment to my health and fitness to ensure I'm in the best shape possible for the game in front of me. More than body composition, my S&C allows me to ensure functionality and wellness on the field and off it.
Catapult One is the best way for competitive athletes who play team sports to track and improve the performance metrics that matter most: Top Speed, Endurance, Agility, and more. Features the same technology used by thousands of professional athletes, seamless setup and data syncing, targets customised for your goals, and the ability to compare against your peers.
- Umpires are athletes - there's just not enough data to prove it yet!
The middle of Summer in Paris can indeed be quite hot(!) and it has been shown that heat acclimatisation both pre and post and during training can help with your body's response to working in the heat longer term. Heat chamber sessions will allow me to add this benefit during my training so that I can be acclimatised to the high temperatures in Paris and ensure that I perform at my best, both from a Physical and Mental point of view.
A 4 week training block will cost £1000.
A personalised signed picture of myself at the Olympics to say Thank You for your support. An example is attached.
Sports Massages can be an invaluable resource in aiding recovery through training to ensure that I am ready to go for the next session. This is a stable of any high performance athletes preparation and I have always included it in mine too.
Sports massage has been shown to reduce muscle tension, increase range of motion, enhance athletic performance, improve soft tissue function and decrease muscle stiffness and fatigue.
Whilst at the Olympics, the majority of the athletes will have free access to national physios and sports therapists, however this is not something that is readily available to the officials and it's something I'd like to include on my journey.
It has shown that using an ice bath post training can help with physical recovery and mental resilience. Having access to an ice bath and over recovery tools will allow me to decompress, reduce inflammation and prepare for the next physical challenge. There are also added mental benefits which will allow me to ensure that I perform at my best, both from a physical and mental point of view.
My flights to Paris are going to take 48 hours! I'm expected to be on the pitch just days later, performing with the best athletes in the world.
I acknowledge that I'm extremely privileged to be able to travel the world for hockey events, and whilst I have only ever been able to afford economy class flights, it is a dream to travel Business Class. Most professional athletes have contracts with their governing bodies that any flights above 5 hours should be Business Class due to the negative effects of travel on performance (mental and physical) being sitting in the same position for the extended period of time, as well as the added quality of food available.
This wish may not be an option with even the best will in the world, but to be able to perform after a very long few days of travel, normally with very little ability to sleep in the upright position for that period is not the best preparation and I would love for this wish to become a reality.
I have been able to work with the All Blacks sills coach and have personal sessions around improving game situational awareness, peripheral vision and reaction speed in readiness for Paris. To improve my reaction time and spatial awareness when scanning the field, reaction lights and these 1-1 sessions have been an awesome addition to my physical training. Overloading the brain with stimuli and filtering through what is required is something which happens quite frequently in a game (and even during the video umpire process). This is what we're working on!
Working on mental toughness and resilience has been an incredible journey - the hardest part for me was the mental vulnerability that comes with that. Sports psychologists are often overlooked in elite sport, but working on sessions for me has included:
- Better Stress Management
- Improved Focus
- Increased Confidence
- Improved Athletic Performance
- Team Building
- Goal Setting
- Reduced Risk of Burnout
- Better Mental Health Overall
- An Understanding of Leadership
Highlights
See all activity16Activity
I am a member of the University of Waikato, Adams Centre for High Performance where I have access to world class facilities and coaches. I'm able to train alongside some of the best athletes in New Zealand (and the world!). The Adams Academy membership is an ongoing, weekly, commitment to my health and fitness to ensure I'm in the best shape possible for the game in front of me. More than body composition, my S&C allows me to ensure functionality and wellness on the field and off it.
Catapult One is the best way for competitive athletes who play team sports to track and improve the performance metrics that matter most: Top Speed, Endurance, Agility, and more. Features the same technology used by thousands of professional athletes, seamless setup and data syncing, targets customised for your goals, and the ability to compare against your peers.
- Umpires are athletes - there's just not enough data to prove it yet!
The middle of Summer in Paris can indeed be quite hot(!) and it has been shown that heat acclimatisation both pre and post and during training can help with your body's response to working in the heat longer term. Heat chamber sessions will allow me to add this benefit during my training so that I can be acclimatised to the high temperatures in Paris and ensure that I perform at my best, both from a Physical and Mental point of view.
A 4 week training block will cost £1000.
A personalised signed picture of myself at the Olympics to say Thank You for your support. An example is attached.
Sports Massages can be an invaluable resource in aiding recovery through training to ensure that I am ready to go for the next session. This is a stable of any high performance athletes preparation and I have always included it in mine too.
Sports massage has been shown to reduce muscle tension, increase range of motion, enhance athletic performance, improve soft tissue function and decrease muscle stiffness and fatigue.
Whilst at the Olympics, the majority of the athletes will have free access to national physios and sports therapists, however this is not something that is readily available to the officials and it's something I'd like to include on my journey.
It has shown that using an ice bath post training can help with physical recovery and mental resilience. Having access to an ice bath and over recovery tools will allow me to decompress, reduce inflammation and prepare for the next physical challenge. There are also added mental benefits which will allow me to ensure that I perform at my best, both from a physical and mental point of view.
My flights to Paris are going to take 48 hours! I'm expected to be on the pitch just days later, performing with the best athletes in the world.
I acknowledge that I'm extremely privileged to be able to travel the world for hockey events, and whilst I have only ever been able to afford economy class flights, it is a dream to travel Business Class. Most professional athletes have contracts with their governing bodies that any flights above 5 hours should be Business Class due to the negative effects of travel on performance (mental and physical) being sitting in the same position for the extended period of time, as well as the added quality of food available.
This wish may not be an option with even the best will in the world, but to be able to perform after a very long few days of travel, normally with very little ability to sleep in the upright position for that period is not the best preparation and I would love for this wish to become a reality.
I have been able to work with the All Blacks sills coach and have personal sessions around improving game situational awareness, peripheral vision and reaction speed in readiness for Paris. To improve my reaction time and spatial awareness when scanning the field, reaction lights and these 1-1 sessions have been an awesome addition to my physical training. Overloading the brain with stimuli and filtering through what is required is something which happens quite frequently in a game (and even during the video umpire process). This is what we're working on!
Working on mental toughness and resilience has been an incredible journey - the hardest part for me was the mental vulnerability that comes with that. Sports psychologists are often overlooked in elite sport, but working on sessions for me has included:
- Better Stress Management
- Improved Focus
- Increased Confidence
- Improved Athletic Performance
- Team Building
- Goal Setting
- Reduced Risk of Burnout
- Better Mental Health Overall
- An Understanding of Leadership
