Alex Danson
British field hockey player / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alexandra Mary Louise "Alex" Danson, MBE (born 21 May 1985) is a retired English international hockey player who played as a forward for England and Great Britain.[1] She played club hockey for Clifton Robinsons, Reading, Klein Zwitserland, Trojans and Alton.
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Alexandra Mary Louise Danson-Bennett | ||
Born |
(1985-05-21) 21 May 1985 (age 39) Southampton, Hampshire, England | ||
Height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) | ||
Weight | 56 kg (123 lb) | ||
Playing position | Forward | ||
National team | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2001–2018 | England | 203 | (62) |
2010–2018 | Great Britain | 103 | (53) |
Medal record |
Danson attended two independent schools, Yateley Manor Prep School and Farnborough Hill School, a Roman Catholic school for girls. Farnborough Hill School named their all-weather hockey pitch in her honour.[2] She made her full international debut on 23 October 2001 against Germany. She won a gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games and a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympic Games.[3][4]
Danson was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to hockey.[5] Later that year Danson was announced as the England Women's Hockey Captain in June 2017[6] and led the team through to the last four in the semi-finals of the world league.[7] Also in 2017, Danson launched the Alex Danson Hockey Academy, aimed at introducing young children to the sport through their schools to increase awareness and participation in hockey at a grassroots level.[8]
She played her last international match on 2 August 2018, against the Netherlands. It was her 306th appearance for England and Great Britain.[9] Danson announced her retirement from playing hockey on 20 February 2020.[10][11]