Courtney Schonell celebrates her goal in the Hockeyroos’ Olympic Qualification event against NZ in October 2023
“I was so happy she was the one scoring that goal after all she went through,” USA footballer Sophia Smith said post-match of her teammate Mallory Swanson after the Paris Olympic women’s football final.
The 26-year-old forward had overcome setbacks, with significant injuries in 2020-21 compounded by her missing the 2023 World Cup with a knee injury that was further complicated by a sepsis infection.
The journey of Swanson resembles much of what ex-Hockeyroos forward Courtney Schonell has faced and overcome ahead of her return with new club Perth Thundersticks for the 2024 Liberty Hockey One League season.
Having missed the 2022 Commonwealth Games with injury, Schonell devastatingly tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee competing in the 2023 Perth Premier League grand final, forcing her to miss the Hockeyroos entire Paris Olympic campaign.
“This year has been incredibly difficult, but I could sit around and feel sorry for myself or pull myself together and embrace the journey,” Schonell says.
“Whilst it was heartbreaking, I believe that I have come out stronger, more passionate and resilient because of it, and ultimately the whole experience has driven me to get back to international hockey more than ever.
“The injury shows that putting your body on the line at the top level inherently comes with risk and over everyone’s careers there will be ups and downs, this is just part of my story, and I have had to accept the situation.”
To better understand Schonell’s mindset means to appreciate her upbringing as one of four children from a highly competitive family, where she attended the Sydney Olympics as a spectator aged just three days old and chose her preferred sport early on.
“My parents gave me the option to either have a dummy or a hockey stick, so when I chose a hockey stick at eighteen months old, I think that moment set me up to be where I am today,” Schonell recalls fondly.
“While I wouldn’t say I ever had any advantage over other players, I do think I had the drive, passion and determination to work hard, and I certainly trained hours upon hours doing skills at the Narellan hockey fields to get better.”
Also adept at cricket growing up with the self-proclaimed all-rounder producing a devastating 4/11 bowling spell en route to earning an NSW Breakers Academy spot, Schonell faced a watershed moment to choose between the two sports.
It’s a decision she admits injury has forced her to reflect on at times.
“I’d be lying if I didn’t say cricket hasn’t crossed my mind, especially whilst being injured, but there is always time later down the track to take up another career.”
“While I love cricket, my passion for hockey has reignited and this experience has made me hungrier.”
“In a lot of ways, I feel my hockey career hasn’t started and I certainly have so much more to give.”
The 505th player to represent the Hockeyroos even jokes there could be a formidable T20 cricket side formed from her international teammates.
“There’s a lot of hand-eye coordination games we use for pre-match activations, like spike ball or slips catching, and Penny Squibb, Renee Taylor and Maddi Brooks are all handy cricketers, while Steph Kershaw could hopefully get her boyfriend Tim David to give us a few tips.”
Coaching is another element that Schonell has taken to better herself during her twelve-month injury rehabilitation, coaching a men’s club side and a National Under 18 girl’s squad.
“I took it upon myself to continue developing my mindset and to give back to the community who has given countless hours back to me.”
“What surprised me was seeing things through different lenses.”
“The opportunity to coach has provided me another period of growth that I didn’t expect, that being how to communicate with people and how to take on challenges and difficult conversations and what it takes to develop a cohesive team.”
The 24-game Hockeyroo with five international goals to her name says the nature of Australia’s quarter final loss was devastating, but she loves the trajectory the program is on and the rise of women’s sport more generally.
“Knowing the level of our Hockeyroos, we have to come back from the Olympics with our heads held high because the girls played some great hockey.”
“I know the girls will regroup and continue to take the learnings and put that determination into LA 28.”
But to return to Hockeyroos coach Trini Powell’s plans for the next Olympic cycle, Schonell must first get her hockey stick talking (she uses Naked hockey sticks).
“I have fallen in love with playing the sport again despite the challenges I have faced and I’m definitely keen to put my hand up for selections again, but firstly it’s about just enjoying playing again.”
Schonell (pictured right), lifted the Hockey One League trophy with the NSW Pride in 2022
Now settled in Perth working for KMSB (Kimberley Marine Support Base), Schonell will find further enjoyment wearing the guernsey of the Thundersticks, with the 2022 NSW Pride title winner’s decision to change franchises the talk of the women’s competition.
The Axon Home-sponsored athlete will link up with Dutch 2-time World Player of the Year Eva Drummond and Hockeyroos co-captain Kaitlin Nobbs as new Thundersticks recruits, adding venom to last year’s best defensive side.
“I love NSW which will always be my grass roots, and I will be forever grateful for the opportunity and the development it provided me.”
“Perth is now my home, and I look forward to representing this state proudly, and while the decision was hard to make, this is where I have established myself.”
“The Thundersticks have a great bunch of girls and all we ask of one another is to do our job at the very best and I’m very excited to see how we go at this tournament.”
With her unshakeable positive mindset and natural ability, Schonell will give herself every chance to replicate Swanson’s remarkable rise in international circles.
For the record, USA’s Swanson’s goal defeated Brazil 1-0 in that Paris Olympic gold medal match, ending a twelve year wait for the previous golden team of women’s football.
From this deeper dive into Schonell’s story, it appears she has the requisite resilience and mentality to match her instinctive forward play.
It feels like a return to the green and gold is a mere formality away, but Schonell needs to look no further than the heroics of Swanson for inspiration.
Who knows if she can follow in those high-performance footsteps, maybe after the LA Olympics we’ll be spelling the famous French luxury fashion label as ‘Schonell’ in Australia, instead of ‘Chanel’…
Adam Clifford
Hockey One
