Her constant battles with injuries threatened to tear her down, and end her quest of Hockeyroos’ global dominance before it could even begin.
But those moments have only made her Tokyo selection all the sweeter.
The 26-year-old Townsville hockey product’s journey was set to reach its peak at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, before an ACL tear robbed her of the chance.
STEPHANIE Kershaw has punched her ticket to Tokyo.
The Townsville hockey star was named in the Hockeyroos Olympic squad to make her debut at the quadrennial event next month.
Even after getting the chance to captain the Hockeyroos, Stephanie Kershaw does not believe her Olympics selection is guaranteed.
The Townsville hockey star became the first athlete from the region to lead her nation since Catherine Roncato skippered the Matildas — a moment she said was one of the proudest in her career.
Not that the honour has changed the 25-year-old too much. Straight after her return from New Zealand, she was back into her university work as if nothing had changed.
Kershaw made her performance an emphatic one once the ‘C’ was put next to her name, scoring a goal and setting up another in Australia’s Trans-Tasman Series-deciding victory over the Kiwis.
Stephanie Kershaw has entered the final countdown to Olympics selection, adamant the turbulent times the Hockeyroos faced were behind them.
Townsville’s Hockeyroo is within striking distance of her maiden international showcase in Tokyo, having been deprived in years gone by through injury.
Bit by bit the 26-year-old has clawed her way back to full flight, and will get her last chance to impress next week when the Australian side take on New Zealand away for the Trans-Tasman Series.
One month in and Kate Shimmin has seamlessly adjusted to life as a Sunshine Coast Lightning athlete, embracing the people, facilities and, of course, the new locale.
The defender has already shown leadership attributes while adjusting to the dynamic of the new group and has proven to be a solid addition to Lightning’s 2021 squad.
“What I’m loving about Lightning is the level of professionalism that this team has,” she said.
“The girls are striving to be better every day, not just on the court but off the court as well – it’s an empowering environment to be around.
“I am so lucky to be here and can’t wait to see what this team can do in 2021.”
The sea change is also suiting Shimmin, keeping her grounded in between the demanding pre-season training sessions.
In a fierce tussle between Australia's Olympic team and rising Podium Potential Academy stars, Sutherland Shire Olympian Ashlee Ankudinoff and teammate Alexandra Manly claimed the honours in the 2021 AusCycling Madison National Championships held at the Adelaide Super-Drome on Saturday 27 February.
Tokyo Olympic hopefuls and 2019 World Championships bronze medallists Mariafe Artacho Del Solar and Taliqua Clancy completed a victorious comeback to competitive action in the second leg of the Australian Beach Volleyball Tour at the Glenelg Beach Open on Sunday.
Artacho Del Solar and Clancy took the title in straight sets with a 2-0 (21-11, 21-16) win over Stefanie Fejes and Becchara Palmer.
Competing for the first time after a 14-month hiatus due to injuries and a COVID-forced break in the beach volleyball calendar, Artacho Del Solar and Clancy didn’t drop a single set on their way to the gold medal, winning all of their five matches in the Women’s Division 1.
Sunshine Coast Lightning have announced the signing of Kate Shimmin ahead of the 2021 Suncorp Super Netball season.
The England international has joined from Adelaide Thunderbirds, having previously spent a season with Queensland Firebirds in 2017.
The 28 year-old said: "I’m so grateful for the opportunity from (head coach) Kylee (Byrne) to join Lightning and the for the new challenges that it presents.
“Lightning are a Club who have been so successful in the Suncorp Super Netball league and I’m excited to be playing and training alongside an elite group of athletes who I’ve always had so much respect for.”
For Australian snowboarder Michaela Davis-Meehan, four months of lockdown and missing the Australian season is not the perfect preparation for the 2021 Freeride World Tour. However, typically for Michaela, she is taking it all in her stride, is raring to go and after finishing second on the world rankings last year, she is hungry for the World Title.
THREE months out of the game has done little to derail Stephanie Kershaw’s ambitions for Olympic gold.
If anything it has only made her drive more palpable.
The Townsville hockey star was finally able to resume training with the Hockeyroos and the competitive edge that has them steeled for a shot at Tokyo glory was still there.
It never stopped, Kershaw said, as the prized goal continued to burn in each players mind.
Given the squad are based in Perth, the national sides have been able to operate under different COVID-19 guidelines than the rest of the country. While Queensland will have to wait until July to resume contact sport, Kershaw and her teammates have just begun that phase after two weeks of largely fitness and skills testing.
A TWO-time Olympian has dropped a bombshell by announcing her retirement from international cycling effective immediately.
Tasmanian two-wheeled rocket Amy Cure — who was already selected in the track team to compete at the postponed Tokyo Games — revealed the COVID-19 pandemic led to her decision.
It brings to an end a 12-year career for her country at the highest level.
She burst onto the scene as a junior when she claimed four under-19 world titles across 2009 and 2010, including setting a world record in the individual pursuit.
INTERNATIONAL hockey may be off the agenda for the foreseeable future, but a return to club roots could be on the cards for Townsville ace Stephanie Kershaw.
The Hockeyroo, now based in Perth with the national set up, had endured a tumultuous run with ACL injuries — a period which finally ended when she donned the green and gold in the FIH League this year.
She had built momentum, trusted the knee that had previously plagued her, and appeared on course for a maiden Olympic Games.
But with the Tokyo showcase postponed until 2021, and the Australian Hockey One competition following suit, competitive outlets are scarce for the time being.
However there is still hope for regional sport to return as the number of COVID-19 cases continue to dwindle.
Lausanne, Switzerland, April 14, 2020 - Mariafe Artacho del Solar speaks about her journey, battling injury to World Championship bronze, why the Olympic postponement will only make her team stronger and why Australia are one of the most consistent teams on tour.
Following on from our three part series with the Canadian world champions Melissa Humana-Paredes, Sarah Pavan and their coach Scott Davenport, we speak with the Australian pairing of Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy and their head coach Kirk Pitman.
Mariafe, aka Mfe, is known as one of smiliest and friendliest characters on tour. The 26-year-old, who is of Peruvian descent, prides herself on being a ‘caring and passionate person’ but also posseses a ‘fighting spirit’ that stems from her South American roots.
Lausanne, Switzerland, May 3, 2020 – Five years is a long time in beach volleyball, but Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar made it seem like no time had passed once they reunited at the start of 2018.
The Australian duo have enjoyed the past three years, winning six FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour golds, bronze at the Hamburg 2019 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships and Hamburg 2018 FIVB World Tour Finals, two Asian Championships and silver when beach volleyball made its debut at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia.
Cycling star Amy Cure is making the most of time off the bike after the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics .
The 27-year-old was selected in the Australian Cycling Team for the track racing schedule at the 2020 Olympic Games, but coronavirus preventative measures across the world saw the event get pushed back until 2021.
The Australian team was announced just weeks prior to the official postponement of the Olympics and the team was still preparing to go.
Cure said the news of the postponement hit hard, but she has remained focused on what she needs to do to keep the wheels ticking over.
Lausanne, Switzerland, April 14, 2020 - Mariafe Artacho del Solar speaks about her journey, battling injury to World Championship bronze, why the Olympic postponement will only make her team stronger and why Australia are one of the most consistent teams on tour.
Following on from our three part series with the Canadian world champions Melissa Humana-Paredes, Sarah Pavan and their coach Scott Davenport, we speak with the Australian pairing of Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy and their head coach Kirk Pitman.
Mariafe, aka Mfe, is known as one of smiliest and friendliest characters on tour. The 26-year-old, who is of Peruvian descent, prides herself on being a ‘caring and passionate person’ but also posseses a ‘fighting spirit’ that stems from her South American roots
STAR Bathurst triathlete Tamsyn Moana-Veale had initially though March would be all about chasing valuable Olympic qualification points, but that is not longer on her mind.
Now she just wants to race again.
Triathlon is one of the multitude of sports that has been forced into a shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, while the Australian talents who had hoped to attend the Olympic Games later this year now have to wait until 2021.
WHEN it comes to realising her Olympic dream, Stephanie Kershaw is luckless.
Ever since she was a young, rising hockey star the Townsville product has envisioned the opportunity to challenge for a gold medal — and Tokyo was her latest fuel for motivation.
An ACL injury deprived her of any opportunity to play with the Hockeyroos in Brazil, and now coronavirus threatens to prevent her second bid.
Four years after seeing their Olympic dreams come crashing down to earth in Rio de Janeiro, Georgia Baker and Amy Cure are delighted with an opportunity to make them come true on the other side of the Pacific.
The Tasmanian duo have both been named on the Australian track cycling team to contest this year's Games in Tokyo.
IT WAS a dream return to the turf for Stephanie Kershaw. Now she is intent on building upon her strong showing to secure a ticket to the Tokyo Olympics.
The Hockeyroo was brought straight back into the green and gold line up after recovering from a devastating ACL injury.
She took it as a comforting sign of faith from her coaches, given she had no playing time under her belt prior to their opening 2020 FIH League game with Belgium last month.
