23 March 2022 – Podium Analytics (“Podium”), the NGO and charity committed to reducing injury in sport, is delighted to welcome Alex Danson-Bennett MBE, former England Women’s Hockey Captain and Olympic gold medallist, as its first Athlete Ambassador.
Having retired prematurely from England Hockey in 2020 due to the long-term impact of concussion, Alex joins Podium’s fast-growing team of experts in a bid to help reduce injury in sport amongst young people.
Now as a hockey coach and reflecting on her own concussion experience, Alex advocates for more research into the cause and effect of injury, and will support Podium in its efforts to collect data on injury and sporting activity in young people so that solutions can be developed to lower the injury risk in hockey and other sports.
Commenting on her appointment, Alex Danson-Bennett, said: “Experiencing the consequences of a head injury first-hand has made me acutely aware of the impact injury can have on players and athletes. Aside from physical symptoms, injury can have lasting psychological impact which can lead to feelings of social exclusion at school or lead to a player feeling stripped of their identity. Three years on, I’m still experiencing daily symptoms. That’s why I am excited to be working with Podium to help protect young players against injury and the long-term impact it can have on their lives.”
Andy Hunt, CEO of Podium Analytics, said: “We are thrilled to have Alex on board as an Athlete Ambassador. It’s clear she’s absolutely behind what we’re doing. Having experienced the devastating long-term effects of concussion, Alex has changed the way she now coaches hockey to young people. With our Insights Platform, we want to help hockey coaches, like Alex, to better protect and manage injury in young players so that they can continue teaching with confidence.”
Alex Danson-Bennett has had an impressive career in Hockey, spanning over 18 years. She has amassed 306 International caps and won Olympic and European Gold, Commonwealth Silver, World and Olympic Bronze medals. Following her retirement in 2020, Alex continues her work within the sports world and has taken up several roles at leading sports organisations, including as a Senior Athlete Mentor for the Youth Sport Trust and member of the Board of Commonwealth Games England. Alex is also an Ambassador for England Hockey, who have partnered with Podium in a wide collaboration that will see the Podium Injury Insight Platform made available to over 850 hockey clubs across England and within schools that play hockey.
