Inside the Circle with Izzy Petter: Olympic Medals, Paris 2024 and Life with GB Hockey

From making her senior international debut at just 18 to winning an Olympic bronze medal and Commonwealth Games gold, Izzy Petter has already experienced some of the biggest moments international hockey has to offer.

Representing both England and Great Britain, Izzy's career has included the Tokyo and Paris Olympic Games, the FIH Pro League and Birmingham Commonwealth Games — all while balancing the demands of elite hockey with university life.

In this edition of Inside the Circle, Izzy joins Total-Hockey to talk about her rapid rise into international hockey, winning Olympic bronze in Tokyo, the contrasting experience of Paris 2024, her Osaka equipment, life as a fearless number-one penalty-corner runner, balancing university with international sport and why sustainability and growing hockey matter so much to her.

Watch the full Inside the Circle interview with Izzy Petter below, or keep reading for the biggest stories and insights from her journey with England and Great Britain Hockey.

From Gap Year to International Hockey

Izzy's senior international career began in a way she hadn't really expected.

In 2019, she was 18 and on her gap year.

The original plan involved travelling.

There was just one slight problem.

As Izzy jokes, she didn't really have the money to do it.

Then hockey intervened.

She was invited into senior training sessions before unexpectedly receiving the call for her first cap.

The selection was so unexpected that Izzy had already told her parents she didn't think she'd be picked.

They went away.

Then she got selected.

Suddenly they had to turn around and come back.

It was the beginning of a year that completely changed the direction of her life.

Making the Step Into Senior International Hockey

Moving into senior international hockey at 18 could easily have been overwhelming.

Izzy admits she was incredibly nervous when she first joined the senior training environment.

But opportunities arrived quickly.

She made her Great Britain and England debuts in the same year and even scored during her first tournament appearance.

Instead of heading straight to university as planned, international hockey suddenly became the priority.

Within a relatively short period, she would be preparing for something most athletes spend their entire careers dreaming about.

The Olympic Games.

Approaching Tokyo Like "Just Another Hockey Tournament"

Tokyo was Izzy's first Olympics.

Yet one of the ways she dealt with the enormity of the occasion was by deliberately making it feel smaller.

Rather than constantly thinking about being at the Olympic Games, she tried to treat it like another hockey tournament.

Another match.

Another opportunity to play.

The unusual circumstances of Tokyo actually helped.

Without the huge crowds normally associated with an Olympics, the matches didn't always feel as enormous as they otherwise might have.

For a player who wasn't accustomed to performing in packed stadiums every week, that helped remove some of the pressure.

What Was Tokyo Really Like?

The restrictions created a very different Olympic experience.

Players wore masks around the Village and completed regular testing.

There was also less opportunity for some of the social traditions normally associated with the Games, including pin swapping.

But once the hockey started, the team still had a job to do.

Great Britain arrived without necessarily being one of the obvious favourites for a medal.

Yet as the tournament progressed, belief grew.

A strong performance against Germany, despite losing the match, helped show the squad what they were capable of.

Suddenly a medal didn't feel impossible.

Winning Olympic Bronze

Great Britain eventually reached the bronze-medal match.

And this was an environment the team understood.

There were experienced players within the squad who knew what it took to perform when an Olympic medal was on the line.

For Izzy, what followed was almost surreal.

Great Britain won bronze.

At the time, she didn't necessarily understand just how difficult that achievement was.

Paris would later give her a completely different perspective.

Getting through an Olympic quarter-final is incredibly hard.

Getting into medal contention is even harder.

Looking back, the magnitude of winning a medal at her first Olympic Games became much clearer.

A Different Kind of Olympic Medal Ceremony

Tokyo's restrictions also meant the medal ceremony looked different.

Rather than having medals traditionally presented, teammates placed them around each other's necks.

In some ways, that made the moment even more meaningful.

These were the teammates who had been through the difficult training sessions together.

They had experienced the uncertainty and disruption of the Olympic cycle.

And now they were giving one another Olympic medals.

It wasn't the traditional ceremony.

But for Izzy, that intimacy made it special in its own way.

From Tokyo Bronze to Birmingham Gold

The next major multi-sport experience came much closer to home.

At the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, Izzy represented England.

And this time, the tournament ended with gold.

The Commonwealth Games have a different feel to the Olympics.

Some of the major European hockey nations aren't involved, which changes the competitive landscape.

But Izzy believes the importance of the event goes far beyond which countries are competing for medals.

For many athletes from smaller Commonwealth nations, the Games can provide an opportunity they may never receive at an Olympics.

Why the Commonwealth Games Matter

One of Izzy's favourite aspects of Birmingham was the atmosphere surrounding those smaller sporting nations.

The Commonwealth Games can give athletes a huge international stage while helping inspire people back home.

That can have a direct impact on grassroots sport.

Young players see somebody representing their country.

They see their flag.

They see their sport being celebrated.

And suddenly competing at that level doesn't feel quite so distant.

For Izzy, that's one of the reasons she hopes the Commonwealth Games continue to have a strong future.

Growing Hockey Through Major Events

That idea of visibility appears repeatedly throughout the interview.

Major events aren't only important for the players competing in them.

They're an opportunity to introduce hockey to people who might not normally watch it.

A packed stadium.

An exciting international match.

A player representing a smaller hockey nation.

Any of those moments can inspire someone to pick up a stick.

And for a sport trying to grow its audience, those opportunities matter.

What Hockey Shoes Does Izzy Petter Wear?

Izzy uses Osaka hockey equipment and has experimented with several of the brand's shoes.

At the time of the interview, she was particularly enjoying the IDO shoes produced around Paris.

She likes the look, but performance obviously matters too.

One feature she particularly values is protection around the front of the shoe.

As an international player — and especially someone involved in penalty-corner defence — getting hit around the feet isn't exactly unusual.

Extra protection around the toes can make a big difference.

Why Hockey-Specific Protection Matters

For Izzy, protection isn't only about avoiding injury.

It can affect confidence.

If you know your feet and toes are properly protected, you're more willing to commit fully to a defensive action.

That's especially important when you're running directly towards a penalty-corner strike.

Izzy has also experimented with lighter, more trainer-style shoes and likes footwear that combines mobility with enough protection for the demands of elite hockey.

What Hockey Stick Does Izzy Petter Use?

Izzy uses an Osaka Pro Bow.

Interestingly, she previously used a Low Bow without necessarily having a particularly strong reason for choosing it.

Eventually someone pointed out that the lower bow was more closely associated with specialist skills such as drag flicking.

That made her reconsider what she actually needed from a stick.

The Pro Bow offered greater versatility.

For a player operating through midfield and attacking areas, it provides a shape suited to passing, close control and lifting the ball without becoming overly specialised.

Do You Really Need the Perfect Stick Setup?

Izzy's answer might reassure plenty of players who obsess over stick specifications.

She's not particularly picky.

When she was younger, she sometimes chose sticks based largely on which colour she liked most.

Even now, she doesn't obsess over balance points.

She generally prefers something lighter, but beyond that she's relatively relaxed.

That's an important reminder.

Equipment specifications can absolutely matter.

But they don't need to become a distraction.

Some players know the exact weight and balance point they want.

Others simply need a stick that feels comfortable and lets them play naturally.

Tokyo vs Paris: Two Completely Different Olympics

If Tokyo felt like an Olympics inside a bubble, Paris was almost the complete opposite.

The crowds were back.

Athletes could interact more freely.

The Olympic Village felt more alive.

Izzy found herself sharing transport and chatting with stars from completely different sports.

Pin swapping was back too — something she had missed in Tokyo.

There was finally the opportunity to experience more of the social side that makes an Olympic Village unlike almost any other sporting environment.

Life Inside the Paris Olympic Village

The hockey players lived together in flats, with Izzy's group enjoying a particularly large communal space.

That became somewhere to relax, play games and watch other Olympic sports between matches.

Team GB also had facilities away from the Village where athletes could recover, eat and spend time away from the intensity of competition.

That was especially useful when the Village food didn't always live up to expectations.

And yes, Izzy eventually tried one of the famous chocolate muffins.

Her verdict?

Very good.

Also incredibly rich.

Why GB Hockey Came Off Social Media

Great Britain's women's team made another interesting decision during the Olympics.

They stepped away from social media.

The reasoning was about controlling distractions.

An Olympic Games creates enormous attention.

Messages arrive from people you haven't spoken to in years.

Notifications constantly appear.

And after a difficult performance, reading negative comments can quickly affect a player's mindset.

Removing social media helped the squad focus on the job in front of them.

But Social Media Can Help Grow Hockey

There is another side to the debate.

Olympic Games are one of hockey's biggest opportunities to reach new audiences.

Social media can take fans behind the scenes, introduce personalities and turn casual viewers into long-term followers.

Izzy recognises that tension.

Players need to protect their performance and mental focus.

But the sport also needs its athletes to help increase visibility.

There isn't necessarily one perfect answer.

For GB, the priority during the Games was performance.

Why Olympic Recovery Means Doing Almost Nothing

You might imagine international teams training constantly during an Olympic tournament.

In reality, recovery becomes much more important.

Once the competition begins, the physical intensity of the matches means players spend much of their time between games resting.

In Tokyo, Izzy remembers spending rest days lying in bed, eating, sleeping and watching Clarkson's Farm.

Training has already been done.

The fitness work is already in the bank.

At that stage, the goal is to arrive at the next match with as much energy as possible.

The Strange Feeling Before an Olympic Shootout

That lack of training creates some unusual moments.

Before the tournament begins, players know a particular practice shootout could be their last one for days.

The next time they take one might be in an Olympic quarter-final or semi-final.

It's a strange thought.

But it also demonstrates how much preparation has to happen before a major tournament.

When competition starts, players have to trust the work they've already done.

Why Paris Was Harder Than Tokyo

Paris didn't produce the same result as Tokyo.

Great Britain reached the quarter-finals, where they faced the Netherlands.

But Izzy believes the overall standard of women's international hockey has become increasingly competitive.

Teams that might once have been viewed as relatively predictable fixtures have improved significantly.

The USA had made major progress.

South Africa were causing teams real problems.

Spain had become extremely difficult to break down.

Belgium were back at the Olympics too.

There were fewer matches where teams could afford to assume the result.

Small Margins Decide Olympic Hockey

For Great Britain, some matches demonstrated just how fine those margins had become.

You can dominate possession.

You can win penalty corners.

You can create chances.

And still lose.

At Olympic level, sometimes the ball simply doesn't go in.

That made the quarter-final against the Netherlands an enormous challenge.

Izzy was disappointed with the outcome but remained proud of how the team competed.

Paris didn't deliver another medal.

But it gave her a much greater appreciation of how difficult winning that Tokyo bronze had actually been.

Why Penalty-Corner Defence Has Improved

One interesting feature of Paris was penalty-corner conversion.

Even teams containing outstanding drag flickers sometimes struggled to score consistently.

Izzy believes improved penalty-corner defence played an important part.

Defenders are braver.

Running lines have improved.

Protective equipment has improved.

And teams analyse penalty corners in enormous detail.

That can make life extremely difficult for attackers.

Izzy knows that better than most.

Because she's the number-one runner.

What Does a Number-One Penalty-Corner Runner Do?

The role isn't complicated to explain.

It's considerably harder to actually do.

When the penalty corner is injected, the number-one runner charges towards the top of the circle to put pressure on the striker or drag flicker.

Izzy's assessment of the job is refreshingly straightforward.

You need to be brave.

And you need to run a good line.

She found herself taking on the role around 2021 and discovered she was good at it.

From there, it became an increasingly important part of her game.

Learning From Maddie Hinch

Former Great Britain goalkeeper Maddie Hinch played an important role in Izzy's development as a penalty-corner runner.

Maddie helped analyse video and identify where Izzy could improve.

But she also made a point of recognising when Izzy had done something particularly well.

That's important because defensive actions don't always receive the same attention as goals.

A brilliant first runner can prevent a goal before the goalkeeper ever needs to make a save.

As Izzy puts it, saving goals can be just as important as scoring them.

How Much Protection Does a First Runner Wear?

Quite a lot.

And for good reason.

Izzy uses protective equipment including a face mask, gloves, knee protection and specialist protection around her feet and shins.

Some of the equipment used by elite players has become extremely advanced.

She describes carbon-fibre shin protection that can absorb direct impacts with surprisingly little pain.

The protection doesn't simply reduce the risk of injury.

It makes her more confident.

If you know an impact is less likely to hurt, committing fully to the run becomes easier.

The Injury That Changed Izzy's Approach

Izzy didn't always wear as much protection.

Earlier in her career, she ran without gloves.

Then came a painful lesson during a match against China.

Her finger became trapped between her stick and a powerful drag flick.

The resulting injury was enough to permanently change her approach.

Since then, gloves have become non-negotiable.

The same applies to a face mask.

Even if the likelihood of being struck in the face is relatively low, the consequences are serious enough that Izzy would rather have the protection.

Why Confidence and Protection Go Together

Protective equipment isn't only physical.

There's a psychological element too.

If a defender is worried about being hit, hesitation can creep into the run.

At international level, a fraction of a second matters.

Knowing that your feet, shins, hands and face have appropriate protection allows you to focus on the ball and the running line rather than the possible impact.

For Izzy, that's a huge part of being an effective penalty-corner defender.

Sustainability and the EcoAthletes Champions Project

Away from the pitch, sustainability is another important part of Izzy's life.

She became involved with the EcoAthletes Champions project alongside fellow hockey player Tess Howard.

The idea is to help athletes use their influence to encourage conversations around environmental issues.

But Izzy is also open about the contradictions involved.

Elite international athletes travel constantly.

Major sporting events involve enormous amounts of international travel.

That can make discussing sustainability feel uncomfortable.

Sport Has to Confront Its Environmental Impact

Hockey has its own challenges.

Modern pitches have traditionally relied heavily on synthetic materials and water.

International competitions require travel.

Equipment has an environmental footprint.

For Izzy, acknowledging those issues is part of the process.

Being passionate about sustainability doesn't mean pretending to have a perfect solution.

It's about helping sporting organisations improve, supporting better approaches and encouraging more athletes to discuss the subject.

It's also an area she would like to explore further after hockey.

Balancing International Hockey With University

As if international hockey wasn't enough, Izzy has also been completing a university degree.

She studies at Loughborough University, an institution with extensive experience supporting elite athletes.

Rather than completing her degree on a traditional timetable, Izzy has split her academic years to make the workload manageable alongside hockey.

The result is a degree journey lasting around six years.

That flexibility has allowed her to continue studying while travelling around the world.

Taking Exams Around the World

And sometimes that really does mean taking university work wherever hockey happens to be.

Izzy has completed exams while abroad in places including Australia and Belgium.

Occasionally academic commitments clash directly with hockey.

In those situations, communication becomes essential.

Her coaches understand that international players still have lives, careers and responsibilities away from the pitch.

Sometimes an exam has to come first.

Why Having Something Outside Hockey Matters

Although balancing the two worlds can be difficult, Izzy values having university alongside hockey.

It gives her another challenge.

It provides something to focus on away from international sport.

And it helps prevent hockey from becoming her entire identity.

That perspective also comes from the people around her.

Friends outside hockey and family can remind her that there is a much bigger world beyond the national programme.

Escaping the Hockey Bubble

Elite sport can easily become a bubble.

You train with hockey players.

Travel with hockey players.

Live with hockey players during tournaments.

Talk about hockey.

Analyse hockey.

Then do it all again.

Spending time with people who aren't immersed in that environment can help restore perspective.

Izzy talks about the importance of remembering that playing international hockey was her childhood dream.

Pressure can sometimes make athletes forget that.

Taking a little distance can help bring the enjoyment back.

There Is Life After Hockey

That's another reason why interests outside sport matter.

Izzy enjoys cooking and reading and occasionally throws herself into completely different hobbies.

Learning something new can help her switch off from the constant demands of performance.

It also reinforces something every elite athlete eventually has to confront.

There will be life after hockey.

International sport might dominate life right now.

But it isn't forever.

How Does Izzy Petter Put Her Socks and Shoes On?

And finally, the most important question of the interview.

Sock, sock, shoe, shoe?

Or sock, shoe, sock, shoe?

For Izzy, there is only one sensible answer.

Sock, sock, shoe, shoe.

She also has a reputation for arriving in full kit, usually needing only to put her shoes on before she's ready to go.

Efficient.

And, according to the Inside the Circle verdict, definitely the correct order.

Izzy's Message for Hockey Players

Izzy finishes the conversation with a simple message:

Enjoy playing hockey and get involved.

She believes the sport deserves to be bigger than it currently is.

Women's football has demonstrated what can happen when greater visibility, investment and supporter engagement combine.

Hockey has an opportunity to move in a similar direction.

But international tournaments aren't the only answer.

Club hockey matters too.

More people attending matches creates better atmospheres.

Better atmospheres create stronger events.

And stronger events can help attract new supporters and players.

What Can Hockey Players Learn From Izzy Petter?

Izzy's career already offers plenty of lessons.

Don't allow the size of an occasion to overwhelm you.

Tokyo was the Olympic Games, but Izzy approached it as another hockey tournament — and came home with a bronze medal.

Don't underestimate the value of defence.

Goals get attention, but a fearless penalty-corner runner can be every bit as important.

Find interests outside your sport.

University, friends, hobbies and future ambitions can provide perspective when the pressure of elite competition becomes overwhelming.

Protect yourself properly.

Confidence often comes from knowing you can commit fully without unnecessary risk.

And perhaps most importantly, remember why you started.

Elite sport comes with selection, pressure, expectations and disappointment.

But underneath all of that is something much simpler.

You started because you enjoyed playing.

As Izzy puts it, hockey is a great sport.

The next challenge is getting more people to discover it.

Watch the full Inside the Circle interview with Izzy Petter to hear more about Tokyo and Paris, winning Commonwealth Games gold, Osaka equipment, penalty-corner defending, university life and her ambitions for hockey beyond the pitch.