From Warwick to the world stage: Meet Wales lacrosse international Ginny Zealley

Ginny Zealley is a final year psychology student and Warwick Sports Scholar who has been selected for the Wales Senior Lacrosse squad that will compete at the World Championship in Tokyo this summer. Following this incredible achievement, she spoke with The Boar Sport to share her story.

Getting the call-up

Firstly, congratulations for being selected to represent Wales. How does it feel to represent your country on the biggest stage?  

It’s a “pinch-me” moment. I think I wasn’t really expecting it. I don’t think it will hit me till I’m there, which is definitely a big factor. But yeah, I’m really excited.

Where were you when you found out?  

I think I was revising, and I just got an email through in the evening. That’s so anticlimactic. I really wasn’t expecting to be picked so I was just waiting for the email. We were told we were going to receive an email that night and I thought ‘oh god this is stressful, but it will be fine.’ I was working and when the email came through, I went ‘oh wow, okay’.

It sounded like you were almost shocked.  

Really shocked. There’s three of us, me, Harriett, and my sister [Izzy] is the other goalie, and only two of us [Ginny and Harriett] get to go.

How was it with your sister after you found out?  

It’s tough. We love each other and we knew going into this it was going to be tough. I’m her number one cheerleader and she’s mine so a difficult situation but definitely proud of each other and [I’m proud] of everything she’s done this season.

 

How it all started 

What’s been your lacrosse journey so far and what are some of the sacrifices you’ve had to make to get here?  

My biggest hurdle at that point was my mental strength; my physical strength was never an issue it was the mental side of it that was always the hardest part

I started playing at secondary school. I didn’t really play sport before then and I wanted to make some new friends, so I was like ‘I’m going to pick this sport’ and it was what everyone was doing so I was like ‘I’m going to do that.’ My sister played goalie, she seemed like she had fun, and I didn’t have an athletic bone in my body, so I decided to play goalkeeper. Then, I found out I was okay at it.

I went into the England Lacrosse setup at the age of 13, 14, so quite young, and played there for a number of years. But I found that I really didn’t like their coaching staff and their coaching ethos, personally. I know other people have had different experiences but that was mine. At the time I was also having a big battle with my mental health, so I decided to take a step back. I knew the manager at Wales, and she said to come for a trial. So, I went there and my U20 journey started with the Euros [U20 European Championship] in 2023. I was very unsure if I’d get picked, again there were three of us, it was very close, and my mental part of the game was very weak, so that experience was very weird.

Going into my U20 World Championship, I definitely struggled to be the second goalie and with the mental side behind that, which people don’t really talk about from a goalkeeping perspective. Goalie is much more of a mental position than it is physical half the time. My biggest hurdle at that point was my mental strength; my physical strength was never an issue it was the mental side of it that was always the hardest part. I almost quit after the tournament, for a combination of personal reasons and because of my experience there.

Then I moved up into the seniors, and I realised that I wasn’t done yet. In the last 18 months, I’ve placed a big emphasis on just playing for fun and not putting the pressure on myself, which has been easier because I’m young and there’s no expectation.

How have you learnt to build up your mental strength, especially when it comes to being the second goalkeeper? 

There’s always going to be a second goalkeeper somewhere or a third in every squad, and you contribute regardless of whether you’re on the pitch or not. That was the biggest thing I’ve started to learn recently.

What do you think you’ve learnt the most from that experience at the U20 World Championship in Hong Kong? What did you draw from it that you’re hoping to bring to this year?  

I think that the value doesn’t just come from what you produce on the pitch. It comes from what you do across the field and off the field. You never know how many minutes you’re going to get on a pitch and if I can give any athlete any advice, it doesn’t matter how many minutes you get on the pitch, it’s what you do with them. You could spend 60 minutes on there and do nothing of note or you could get 2 minutes and change the entire narrative of the game.

 

The value of a team  

Lacrosse is a team sport. What’s been your experience being in that team environment and collaborating with different people?  

There’s just so much experience and knowledge and just being able to be part of that family is the biggest honour

I love it. I think it’s the best part, I’ve now been part of so many teams in different capacities and every single time I come away with people that I know I’m going to know for life. From a Warwick perspective, my time has been made by the people that I play with. From a school perspective, the people I played with are still some of my closest friends. And then on an international level, meeting a group of women who are really driven and determined inspires me every day to push harder. We have a range of people who are still at school to people in their forties – they’ll hate me for saying that. There’s just so much experience and knowledge and just being able to be part of that family is the biggest honour.

Do you have a favourite memory with them so far?  

There’s too many. We did a tour to Boston in October and the whole ten days was just ridiculous. It’s incredible to get a group of 30 women just out doing what they love with no obligations in a completely different country, especially because America is the hotbed for lacrosse. I got to meet one of my favourite goalkeepers, Shea Dolce, and I got to play uninterrupted lacrosse.

 

Life as a student athlete  

That was in October, which is when term starts. How’s it been balancing your studies, alongside playing, training, and your mental health?  

It’s very hard. Warwick is an academic university at the end of the day, so it’s tough and they challenge us a lot. It’s definitely been difficult over the past three years finding that balance of getting my work done to a standard that I find acceptable and to do well, while also finding time for lacrosse, my social life, and my mental health. I have struggled at points and the performance team at Warwick have helped, but there’s only so much they can do. I have a lot of lists, and schedules, and often have to say no to things I wish I didn’t have to say no to. I might not come away with a First, but I’ll come out with more than a degree, which is a decision that I am okay with.

I also haven’t been able to do some of the fun lacrosse stuff that I always want to do. I’ve been a big part of the club since I’ve joined and have been to most things, but I’ve also had to pull back in certain areas because I don’t have the disposable hours.

How has it been being a Warwick Sports Scholar and competing for Team Warwick? How has it helped your development, both as a lacrosse player and as an individual? 

[They teams I’ve been a part of] helped me in every way to become better as a player, as a leader, as a teammate

In terms of lacrosse, we are not the strongest university at the sport, but that was actually quite important for me. There were times when I was at school that I didn’t know if I was doing it because I had to or because I loved it, and over the past three years I can definitely say it’s because I love it. The teams that I have been a part of for the last three years have genuinely never made me question that. They’ve helped me in every way to become better as a player, as a leader, as a teammate, so being able to compete for Warwick has been great.

Being a Sports Scholar has allowed me to meet a lot of amazing people doing a diverse range of sports, and having like-minded people, especially like-minded women, in the community means we can be open with and celebrate each other, which has been really nice. When you compete at this level, you never know if you’re going to meet people with the same drive and mindset, so it’s nice to be in a community that has them. The support from the whole performance team has also been great, like getting me to the gym when I really don’t want to be there.

What are your plans beyond your studies and the World Championship? Lacrosse is not the biggest sport in the UK and therefore you can’t make a living from it. How do you hope to balance that with your future?  

I’m going to Nottingham next year to do a master’s. They’re one of the best in the country for lacrosse so it will be quite intense. Part of the bid to play long term comes from a financial point of view, so I am working hard to get into a job where I have the financial security to be able to play. I am looking to do a business psychology master’s to then work in a consultancy firm, which is also on the cards for this summer. The main thing is I want to take every opportunity I get, whether it’s at the top level or for fun, and to spread the sport. I will join a club when I move back home and start working. I might try and throw my hat into the 6s GB ring for the Olympics, although it’s still a long way to go and 2028 is quite unlikely.

Well, the 2032 Olympics are in Australia, who are ranked quite highly at lacrosse, so if they keep it for their games who knows where you’ll be?  

Watch this space. But on a more chill level, I’m just going to try and play and give back to as many people as possible in as many different capacities I can. I want to grow the sport because it’s not big enough in the UK.

On the topic of that, what would you say to people reading who haven’t really heard of lacrosse, let alone played it?  

I think just give it a go. I don’t think I know many people who have picked it up and gone, ‘this is horrible.’ One of the biggest things that Warwick has shown me is that most of the players haven’t played before they’ve come to university, at all. We don’t get a good intake of people who have been playing since they were children, and over 50% of my teams over these three years have been made up of people who started at university because they just decided to give it a go. It’s a weird sport, but it’s kind of fun, so give it a go, and if you hate it, text me on Instagram and I’ll give you a refund or something.

 

Looking ahead to the World Championship 

In terms of Wales at the World Championship, they find themselves in Pool B alongside Australia, Canada, and Germany, which include some of the best teams in the world. You’ll undoubtedly find yourself playing against professionals. How does it feel to go up against competition like that?   

Try everything and anything, and don’t be scared to fail

I’m really excited, which might not be what you’d expect me to say. You don’t often get the chance to play against the best people in the world, which I guess is a category I fall into, but I don’t really think I do. When you watch all of them play out in the US it’s very different. The other side of that is to not underestimate us, as Wales have always been the underdog and my U20 World Championship is a testimony to that. We were ‘supposed’ to finish about 17th, and we ended up in 7th after beating the Haudenosaunee national team, which everyone was pretty shocked by. We’ll give it a go against whoever. Also, it’s nice to go to Japan to play teams that we wouldn’t usually play, especially non-European ones.

Is a goalie goal potentially on the cards for one of these games?  

You’re asking a lot there. I’m not going to say no; I’m never going to say no. I won’t give you anything above a 50/50 chance. I will give it a go if it comes to it, but I do fear my coach might scream at me unless we’re either up or down by a lot. I’ll say it’s for The Boar.

What are you most excited for about Tokyo?  

I think the opportunity to live in a new city for two weeks, and to experience it from a perspective that you don’t get from being a tourist. Obviously, I’m going to love doing some sightseeing, but also getting the chance to meet players from all over the world and to see the community all in action at the same time. So honestly, I’m excited for everything.

Well, thank you again for taking the time. It’s an amazing accomplishment and you’re doing yourself everyone at Warwick proud. Is there any final thing you’d like to say to anyone, whether they’ve done sport at Warwick or not?  

You never know until you give it a go. Even if it’s the weirdest sport you’ve ever done in your life. One of my favourite memories from this year was hearing that a fresher had done canoe polo in the swimming pool, and I had no idea that was a thing. So, try everything and anything, and don’t be scared to fail. You learn everything from it.