Giselle Ansley is hoping to put an injury-ravaged year behind her and win a third consecutive Olympic hockey medal.
The 32-year-old from Kingsbridge in Devon was part of the Team GB side that won gold in Rio in 2016 before earning a bronze medal in Tokyo three years ago.
Ansley, who also helped England win gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, won her 100th cap for Great Britain in January and is one of the most experienced players in the squad heading to Paris.
“It would be beyond my wildest dreams,” Ansley told BBC Sport when asked about the prospect of a third Olympic medal.
“I never imagined winning one, I never imagined even playing one game for GB, so to be at my third Olympics and the chance of going out there to compete for another medal is really special.
“I’m just really excited for what this squad can do.”
Having moved to play for Dutch side HGC after the last Olympics Ansley returned home to join top English side Surbiton last year.
But her season was hit by injury, the most serious being a ruptured ligament in her left knee which led to her missing the European Championships.
While the absence has been tough, Ansley said returning to a new-look squad has reinvigorated her ahead of the Paris games.
“It’s been frustrating, but also it has told me a lot about myself, what I can come back from consistently,” she said.
“But it’s really exciting because there’s been new, fresh faces [brought] into [the] team keeping me young.
“Some of them tell me that they think by spending time with youngsters I’ve lost five years, so I’ll take that.”
And Ansley is just as excited for her third Olympic Games as she was for her first eight years ago.
“It’s so special, and every time has been different, different journeys to that point,” she added.
“So it doesn’t get any less special, that’s for sure.”
