WILKINSON Hannah

General
INJURY RECOVERY
She says she was able to improve mentally and physically during her year-long rehabilitation from an anterior cruciate ligament [ACL] knee injury she sustained in 2015. "It is such a devastating injury, not only for the body, but for the mind as well. I learned the true power of things like patience, perseverance and belief. I developed a strong sense of appreciation for the game, having been away from it for so long. I was able to use the time I had to analyse the game from a different perspective on the sideline, which helped me continue to learn despite not training. Once I was back, physically, I was stronger, more balanced and more stable. And I loved playing the game, even more so than before I was hurt." (nzfootball.co.nz, 01 Sep 2018)

TEAM SPIRIT
In 2018 she spoke about the team spirit of the New Zealand women's national team. "[We are] unique as individuals, unbreakable as a whole. We have so many amazing individuals with different talents, characteristics and stories. When we come together through the shared bond of football, we display a team culture that is like no other, an incredible pride for ourselves and for our country. Despite any forces of change, our team culture and our values are strong, and we will persist." (nzfootball.co.nz, 01 Sep 2018)

COMING OUT
In 2012 she chose to reveal that she is homosexual to one of her national teammates. "It became a secret that weighed heavily on my shoulders, and it was very distressing feeling like I couldn't talk to those closest to me about my personal life. I sent her a text when I was in my room in our hotel one night, and she came knocking on my door. We had the biggest heart-to-heart and she made me feel incredibly comfortable about being myself and reassured me that it was totally OK to be open and honest about who I was, and not embarrassed or ashamed. I was very scared of the reaction of supporters. And it may have shocked a lot of them, but in the end what is most important is me feeling comfortable and confident in my own skin, showing others that this is who I am, and I am proud of it. I didn't get any negative reactions, even though I expected to. I think when you are closeted you imagine the absolute worst. I was really pleasantly surprised by everyone's reactions." (outsports.com, 27 Apr 2017)

GAY ROLE MODELS
She says she looks up to gay role models in women's football such as US footballers Megan Rapinoe and Abby Wambach. "Seeing the acceptance and normalisation of being in a same-sex relationship really helped me to feel more comfortable and confident with coming out. Being in an accepting team environment made such a difference for me. In terms of sponsorships, I had never seen anything negative happen to other openly gay teammates, so knowing that made things a lot easier. With my experience, I would argue that it is a lot easier being [from] a team sport coming out, especially in teams with a high level of acceptance, like the team's I have played for, where gay identities are normalised. Coming out is an incredibly sensitive and vulnerable experience, and when supportive and reassuring people that have been through that same experience surround you, it makes a huge difference. I get the sense that being closeted in an individual sport would make you feel rather isolated, and the support would be harder to find." (outsports.com, 27 Apr 2017)

ART AND MUSIC
She creates and sells digital art, inkwork and paintings, which she posts on Instagram under the handle Wilkscraft. She is also a musician who sings and plays the guitar and ukulele. At the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, she started a team band, 'Wilky and the Ukuladies'. She taught the other members of the band how to play the ukulele. (Instagram page, 29 Oct 2020; beatsandrhymesfc.com, 12 Oct 2020)