Today Sarah and I took time out to reflect on what has happened with Walking Hockey during this trip so far and what the immediate future holds. After a busy 10 days it is incredible to think what has happened so here’s a summary:

Dubai – met with a great response and will be launched soon for adults with juniors to use it too. Contacts established with players and administrators from South Africa, Northern Ireland, Ukraine, India,  Belgium, the Netherlands and Scotland. Had a very warm (35 degrees) session of Walking Hockey thus becoming only the second country to try the programme.

Hockey New Zealand – very excited and will be putting adult programmes together and looking at integrating it into junior programmes too for basic skill work etc. Great opportunities for the sport.

Auckland Hockey Association – really keen and will be going for it too. Especially like the multicultural opportunities it presents. Set up contact with Head of FIH for us.

Sunshine Coast Hockey Association – really excited and have started to collect names of people for their first programme. Terrific opportunities for the large ageing community on Australia’s east coast. Meeting attended by the local MP and former Minister of Sport for Queensland. The first ever game of Walking Hockey in Australia was played by the High Performance under 18 men’s squad.

We still have three more groups to visit in Australia – Cairns HA, Hockey Australia and Footscray HC – before we head for home.

Today we also penned a letter to everyone we have met so far to ask for their assistance in taking the sport forward in a coordinated manner.

We also fitted in a trip into the mountains at the suggestion of our Sunshine Coast Hockey Association host Nate. Spectacular views and a nice lunch in a bistro too.