Ayeisha McFerran has overcome personal battles to become one of the leading female sports figures in Northern Ireland.
The Hockey Ireland keeper, who has over 130 international caps, shared her experiences in an open and honest conversation with Hugh Campbell on the Sport NI Athlete Stories podcast.
McFerran was a key figure in the Ireland Hockey team that claimed silver at the 2018 World Cup where and was named Goalkeeper of the Tournament. The Larne keeper has been across the globe in her club career from Louisville to spending seven years in Holland and now plying her trade for Surbiton in London.
Ayeisha takes us back to her childhood when she was playing football, doing athletics, competing in Irish dancing and the sport that would give her a career, hockey.
Sport has almost been a lifeline for Ayeisha, especially during childhood. She said: “I did every sport possible. You name it, I will have tried it. I might not have been good at it, but I did everything.
“I had a lot of family trouble at home. My mum was sick and it was a single parent household. There were four siblings. And for me, sport was almost my release. It was my way to feel normal.
“It was my way to make friends and feel connected to people around me. It took a label or an identity away that I put on myself or I didn’t want to have. Sport was always the thing that was there for me. From a very young age, I was saying I love this. I want to do this.”
McFerran has a story that showcases bravery, commitment, perseverance and a character to never give up and one that should encourage everyone, whatever your age.
Ayeisha’s mum sadly passed away when she was 14 and Ayeisha ended up in foster care but she continued to play Hockey in the Ireland underage setups, travelling from the outskirts of Larne to Jordanstown by train and then doing a full day at school.
In recent years, McFerran has been dealing with injuries and has recently been rehabilitating at the Sport NI Sports Institute but is now back between the posts.
She explained: “When I was younger, I was very aggressive, very loud and boisterous. I think a lot of that came from what was happening off the pitch within my personal life.
“Sport was a release. It was an outlet for me. It was somewhere where I could feel normal. (because of my circumstances) I was always fighting to prove myself, even being able to get to training.”
“I think initially it was my identity, I’m Ayeisha the hockey player, I need to do this to get out of Larne, I need to do this to have an opportunity at life. And it probably wasn’t until quite recently…where I’ve sat down and thought what am I doing with myself?
“Now, it’s just sport. I love it. Don’t get me wrong. I put in so much effort to do what I do and I’m in such a privileged position. But ultimately, I’m healthy. I have a roof over my head. I have people around me that care for me. I care for myself.”
Find out more about Ayeisha’s fascinating life where she talks further about making her international debut at 18, the psychology of goalkeeping and the motivation she has to get back on the pitch in an Ireland jersey.
You can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music as well as watch each episode on YouTube. To find the latest episodes just search for Sport NI Athlete Stories.
Clips from the podcast will also be available on YouTube as educational pieces for athletes.