Elena Tice. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile Staff reporter
Faith is the most important part of hockey star Elena Tice’s life, the Irish international and UCD student has said.
The 21-year-old, who has won almost 100 caps for Ireland and who last year helped Ireland towards a silver medal in the hockey world cup, has said her Christian faith matters far more to her than the sport which has put her under an international spotlight.
“My faith is a massive part of my life,” she told the42.ie. “It’s the biggest part of my life, it’s more important than hockey and it’s more important than Tokyo or World Cups. It’s lasting and it doesn’t change, God’s love for me doesn’t change if I do well or I don’t do well and that’s what’s amazing about it.”
Faith, she says, motivates her more than anything else.
“It gives you a different perspective, I suppose,” she said. “I try and think about how I can honour God in the way I can play as opposed to just thinking about competing with people around me.
“It’s the biggest motivator to work hard. I feel like I’ve been given these gifts to be able to play sport and it’s a blessing to have all the opportunities to play and therefore I want to work as hard as I can to use these gifts to glorify him.”
Explaining that she spends a long time praying before games, she says of her Faith: “It’s a huge part of my life and, unlike hockey which will come and go, my Faith will sustain me and is very much lasting.”