Helen Richardson-Walsh is a double Olympic medallist and one of Great Britain’s most decorated hockey players. Over an 18-year international career, she represented her country at four Olympic Games, achieving bronze at London 2012 and gold at Rio 2016. Her experiences of performing under pressure, leading teams, and navigating the psychological demands of elite sport laid the foundation for her interest in sport psychology.
Having witnessed firsthand the impact that psychological support can have on individual and team performance, Helen was inspired to retrain in the field. She is now pursuing a career in applied sport psychology, combining her academic study with practical experience in high-performance environments.
Helen is particularly interested in strengths-based approaches, values-driven performance, and supporting athlete with a holistic approach. Her background in elite sport offers her a unique lens through which to understand and support the psychological challenges faced by athletes today.
As a Visiting Fellow at Staffordshire University, Helen contributes her insights and experiences to enrich the applied sport psychology community, offering inspiration and practical relevance to those preparing for work in performance sport.
Academic qualifications
- MSc Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology, University of Staffordshire
- MSc Organisation Psychology, City, University of London
- BSc (Hons) Psychology, The Open University