“During my internship, I had the opportunity to work closely with both the Women’s and U21 squads in a high-performance environment. My main project focused on RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport), where I designed and delivered validated questionnaires, analysed athlete results, and created practical education tools to support RED-S awareness and prevention across the programme. I also worked closely with Performance Nutritionist Jo Slater and industry supervisor Nick Webb, from day one receiving ongoing guidance and feedback to refine and strengthen my work. This experience helped me grow significantly in sports nutrition, communication, and resource development, and gave me firsthand experience working within an elite sport performance environment. The experience has been invaluable in shaping my confidence, skills, and passion for holistic athlete support.”

“My internship with HNZ was one of the most influential stages in my development as a strength and conditioning coach. Being part of a genuine high-performance program gave me exposure to national-level standards, expectations, and systems that you can’t learn in a classroom. Under the guidance of Nick Webb (Head of Performance) and the wider support team, I had the opportunity to assist with field-based conditioning sessions, GPS data collection and analysis, gym sessions, and day-to-day athlete monitoring across the Vantage Black Sticks, and I had the opportunity to head the NZ U21 Women’s program. My favourite part of the internship was working hands-on with GPS data - understanding not just how to collect it, but how to turn it into meaningful decisions around volume, intensity, recovery, and progression. I’m genuinely grateful for the opportunity Hockey NZ and especially Nick gave me. The lessons, standards, and experiences from that internship continue to shape the way I coach today.”