REDDITCH disability sports star Sarah Hope will be hoping to showcase her skills as she heads out to represent Great Britain in the second-ever Para Ice Hockey Women’s World Challenge.
The team flew out to Green Bay, Wisconsin, to compete in the four-day tournament earlier this week, with the games getting under way yesterday (Thursday).
Sarah will be playing in defence for the side in the groundbreaking tournament and will be one of the squad’s three alternate captains.
She joined the GB Women’s Para Ice Hockey programme shortly after it was formed in October 2021.
The World Para Ice Hockey Women’s World Challenge, which launched last year, is the sport’s first formal International Paralympic Committee female tournament.
Sarah captained the team in last year’s world challenge, and although they did not win a game, Sarah said she was very proud of what the team had achieved.
But, she added, she hoped the team would top it this year.
This year’s contest will see Sarah and her teammates once again take on the USA, Canada and Team World.
The squad has been spending the week on the ice preparing for the tournament and listening to a presentation by Para Ice Hockey looking into the future of the sport.
Sarah’s highly successful career has included representing Great Britain at Wheelchair Basketball but she retired from the sport in all forms earlier this year.
Sarah said: “The team are really excited for the official start of the tournament and to improve on our world ranking from last year.
“It’s great to see the sport growing year on year and I’m really looking forward to seeing how it develops.”
Visit youtube.com/paralympicsporttv to watch Sarah and the team compete in Green Bay.
