'It's been a whirlwind' - Ireland's Bethany Harper targets Paris Olympics after injury nightmare

Harper is set to feature in Ireland's Olympic qualifying campaign after missing the Tokyo Games because of an ACL injury

Bethany Harper knew immediately her dream of going to the Tokyo Olympics was over.

It was during an Ireland training session at the Irish Sports Campus in Dublin in April 2021, just a few weeks before final selection for the Games, that Harper suffered a serious knee injury.

What made it even more incredible was that just a few months earlier, her twin sister, Serena, had torn her anterior cruciate ligaments. It was the same injury.

"I knew immediately, I think with my twin sister Serena, having done her ACL a few months prior, I hoped it wasn't what I imagined, but I knew, and obviously with it being just a few months before the Olympics, it was devastating and heartbreaking," said Harper, speaking ahead of Ireland's Olympic qualifying opener against Belgium on Saturday.

"But you know, those things happen in life and in sport, particularly, and some things are just out of your control. I believe all things happen for a reason, so I'm very, very thankful to be back here now."

After surgery it took over a year of rehabilitation and it wasn't until September 2022 that she was back playing club hockey again.

She continued: "I was very thankful to play a season at club level and get my confidence back and get back into hockey, and then I've been very, very thankful to come back into the Ireland squad last October. It's been a journey, it's been a whirlwind, but it's a story I'm very thankful to be able to write."

Harper, formally Bethany Barr, had her most famous moment in an Irish shirt when she scored during the shootout of the Olympic qualifier against Canada at Donnybrook in November 2019. Had she missed, Ireland wouldn't have qualified, but she scored and the squad were Tokyo bound.

That was before Covid-19 intervened, postponing the Olympics for twelve months. If they had gone ahead as planned, both sisters would most likely have been part of the Irish squad.

'I thought I'll push this door and who knows what will happen?'

A year later and both Bethany and Serena were sidelined with ACL injuries.

So how did she manage the bitter disappointment of having her Olympic dream taken away from her? She says her Christian faith played a huge part in helping her cope.

"I think definitely my faith did help me through it," she said.

"You know, knowing that there's a reason for everything and God has a plan. And it might not be what I want, it might not be according to how I imagine things to go.

"But I know that He's in control and who would have known back then that I would be back here for these Olympic qualifiers? And maybe that was His purpose. Maybe there was another purpose, but I think just trusting in that really helped me and, okay, yes, I would have wanted to be at the Olympics but that wasn't meant to be."

Now Harper has the opportunity to help Ireland reach a second Olympics. After only being back in the squad since October, she has reclaimed her place and will play in the qualifiers in Valencia.

"When I tore my ACL getting back with Ireland definitely wouldn't have been my first thought," she said.

"At that point I knew I just wanted to get back playing hockey because I love the sport so much. For me a large part as well was getting back playing with Serena and we got to play together at club level and then one thing led to another. I really thought about it and prayed about it and and thought, you know, what is there to lose? I thought I'll push this door and who knows what will happen?"

Harper was part of the Ireland team that secured qualification for the Tokyo Olympics against Canada in November 2019

It is a very different squad to the one Harper last played for just before her injury and she has only had a few warm-up games last month to get ready for one of the most important tournaments in the hockey calendar. She believes, however, that Ireland have an opportunity to grab one of the three places available in Valencia next week for the Paris Games.

"We're a very determined group, and I think coming in as a fresh head and a fresh set of eyes, you can see their determination, their aggression to get the job done, their commitment and their desire is just paramount, and It's so exciting coming in and joining that and I think definitely we can get the job done.

"Obviously it's a huge task and a big ask but we're looking forward to setting foot in Valencia and putting all our training into good work on the pitch."

Away from hockey, Harper is the Project Manager for Charlene's Project. It's in memory of her sister Charlene Barr, who was born with cystic fibrosis and died at the age of 20 in 2010.

Before her death, Charlene began raising money to build a school in Uganda - a legacy her family continues.

That puts knee injuries and Olympic qualification into perspective. Whatever happens next week, Harper's outlook on life won't change.

"I think you know it's important in everything in life to focus on things but also to keep everything in perspective and I think my time away from the squad has been good for that.

"At the end of the day we're all playing a sport we love and we're playing with people we enjoy spending time with and that's the most important thing and I think when we remember that, we can go out and play with freedom and enjoy it. Hopefully then we get the result which will be an amazing opportunity and something we'll so look forward to."