Danielle's Story
1970 -
Danielle ‘Dani’ Roche won a gold medal as a member of the Australian women’s hockey team in 1996. The Hockeyroos performed brilliantly in Atlanta, winning the gold medal for the second time following their success in 1988. The team remained undefeated on the way to the gold medal. They recorded seven wins and a draw, a 3-3 tie with South Korea in the preliminary round, from eight matches. The final was a re-match with the Koreans, with the Aussies dominating their arch-rivals to win 3-1. Twelve years later, Roche played a role in another Olympic medal success for Australia. After the Aussie women’s water polo team suffered a heart-breaking semi-final loss to the United States in Beijing, Roche was invited by coach Greg McFadden to address the team. She delivered an inspiring speech, helping the team rebound to win their thrilling bronze medal final against Hungary.
