Visions of a re'Ward'ing journey

Three years after a gruesome on-field injury, Sam is back in the National side

The images show the staples on Sam Ward's head that the England forward had to go through after being hit by a speeding ball during an Olympic Qualifier game against Malaysia. Credit: Instagram

Sports is filled with several inspirational tales that sometimes make mere mortals wonder to what extent athletes are ready to push themselves to achieve their dreams.

To cite some popular examples, Arjen Robben and Yuvraj Singh beat cancer to return to playing, while Tiger Woods and Rafael Nadal overcame several career-threatening injuries to win majors. England striker Sam Ward is an incredible addition to that motivating catalogue.

Just a peek into Ward’s Instagram account — samuel_ward13 — is enough to send shivers even to the extremely bold-hearted. There’s a photo which shows 31 staples starting from below his left ear and going all the way over his skull in zig-zag fashion. He displays a thumbs-up sign in another photo but the left eye is still blackened out. The images were posted soon after he had a maxillofacial surgery where doctors at the Royal London Hospital had to insert four plates and 31 screws to restore his face following an on-field accident in November 2019.

Ward, an exciting forward making waves in world hockey with his rip-roaring runs and powerful finishes, was hit flush on his face by a ball, travelling at approximately 80 kmph, from team-mate Harry Martin during an Olympic Qualifiers game.

In an instant, the world came crashing down for the Leicester resident. It went further downhill when doctors couldn’t restore complete vision in his left eye as his retina was damaged beyond repair.

Early news reports even suggested that his career was finished. Broken face, lost vision, and a road to recovery so long that even leading a normal life was a blessing at this point.

But giving up was never an option for Ward. The 34-year-old, who considers donning the England jersey a matter of great pride, had only one ambition during his extensive and demanding rehabilitation — to experience that pride again.

Against all odds that even left his doctors and team-mates in utter disbelief, Ward donned the Three Lions jersey once again at the Euro Hockey Championship in Amsterdam in June 2021. Donning a Zorro-style mask, Ward was whizzing up and down like a hare, the story of sheer grit and determination in abundant display.

“You’ve gotta go through the tough times in life to earn the good times,” says a smiling and fast-talking Ward when DH asks him about the ordeal he went through.

“The tough times I took, they are giving me the good times now in Bhubaneswar. It’s amazing to be back playing hockey. I’ve been in the programme for eight years, had my challenges, lost an eye. I came back hungrier than ever. At this moment I’m very excited to be playing with the boys and it’s an honour to be representing England.”

Despite the early prognosis not being great and the recovery being arduous, Ward said the thought of giving up never crossed his mind. “At the end of the day, not everyone is honoured enough to represent their country — many people never get that chance. Having tasted the honour of representing the country, I wanted to do it again. It was what kept me inspired and never give up.”

“It was tough time for me and my family and for everyone close to me. I was very lucky and I received incredible support. I’ve had psychologists to help me get through the real tough times. The biggest support for me was family and friends. My mom and dad gave everything in their life for me to play hockey. They literally gave every penny they had to support me and ensure that I play hockey again. I owe all of this to them.”

In a sport like hockey which is played at break-neck speed at times, vision is extremely important. That, and intelligence, is what helps players make that special pass, score goals or intercept a move from the opposition. But Ward has complete vision only in his right and peripheral in the other. Despite the limitations, Ward has soldiered on undeterred and remains a central figure in England’s attack.

“My eyes have adjusted. I’m kind of used to the new normal. I just keep cracking on instead of moaning about it. I know I have my limitations but considering what I went through this is nothing. As I said, you have to go through hard times to enjoy the good times. And I’m prepared to go through hell to live this dream. Basically, I’ll be doing everything I can to continue working harder and getting better at my craft.”