Hull medical student in Team GB ice hockey squad for 2022 Winter Olympic qualifiers

Hull medical student Kathryn Marsden will take to the rink for Team GB next month, as she joins the ice hockey team in its qualification bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

If successful in their qualifying campaign, Kathryn will have the opportunity to travel to Beijing next February to compete with Team GB at the Winter Olympics.

When not on the ice, Kathryn is also studying for a medicine degree at Hull York Medical School.

Sharing her journey into ice hockey, Kathryn said:

My grandparents took me to a pantomime on ice when I was a child, and I was interested from then. I started playing when I was 4 years old. They tried to get me into figure skating, but I wasn’t quite ladylike enough.

Kathryn started out playing for Kingston Junior Ice Hockey Club in Hull, before progressing through the ranks to eventually play for Trinity College in the USA.

She is now a member of Team GB’s ice hockey squad, where she plays as a forward.

The Olympic qualification tournament in October is taking place in Korea, and if Kathryn and Team GB triumph, they have another qualification round to get past before being able to enter the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing next February.

Kathryn also spoke about her training regime during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She said:

The training is quite strenuous and it has been hard to keep up with it during lockdown. I took up field hockey at university and yoga to keep myself active whilst the ice rinks were closed.

Kathryn is a member of the University of Hull’s Talented Athlete Programme, which offers a range of benefits and support packages for recipients, including:

• A tailored financial offer to study at Hull
• All-inclusive fitness centre membership, with priority scheduling of training times
• Bespoke training, nutrition and hydration support
• Rehabilitation support and one-to-one yoga and flexibility sessions
• Complementary sportswear

Tim Purdy, Wellness & Performance Manager at the University of Hull, said:

I’m sure I speak on behalf of everyone at the University of Hull in wishing Kathryn and her teammates the very best of luck in their qualifying matches next month. Kathryn is an incredibly talented athlete who we are lucky to be able to call our own at Hull, and serves as an inspiration to young people considering combining elite sport with studying on a highly competitive course such as medicine. 

I look forward to following Team GB’s progress in the ice hockey, ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing – everyone at the University of Hull is behind you Kathryn!

Kathryn is about to start her second year studying medicine at Hull York Medical School.

While she admitted to feeling slightly apprehensive at the workload on the course, while also representing Team GB, Kathryn said she was excited to return to the University for the next chapter of her degree.

Professor Una Macleod, Dean of Hull York Medical School says:

We are very proud of Kathryn, and to balance her training regime while studying medicine, demonstrates drive, determination and focus. We wish her the best of success in the qualification bid.

The University of Hull is an official partner of Team GB – incorporating both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

The partnership provides opportunities for the University of Hull’s students, staff and communities, including participating in Team GB events, developing courses, guest speakers and CV-boosting opportunities such as work experience and volunteering.

More details on the partnership can be found on the University of Hull website.