Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist Holly Hunt told aspiring hockey players at The King's School to 'face up to failure'.
The England and Great Britain attacking midfielder, who scored in England's famous win in the Commonwealth Games final in Birmingham this summer, has not had an easy ride. She failed her first trial, was selected just as a part-time option in her second trial and only succeeded in gaining selection at the third attempt. Then to cap it all she had a stress fracture of the foot that kept her side-lined for six months.
But the former Sale and Bowdon National League hockey player, who now plays for Hampstead and Westminster, never lost sight of her dream.
"I am at King's not only to teach the boys and girls some techniques and tactics, but more importantly to instil a 'never say die' attitude.
"The most important lesson you can learn, as hockey players or, indeed, any sport or walk of life, is to work hard, enjoy what you are doing and when things go wrong, which they will, try, try and try again."
Holly, 25, added: "Look at the reasons why you failed, ask for advice from those that know, and come back better prepared and ready for the challenge."
It all paid off for Holly, when in only her second appearance for England she scored the opener with a clinical strike in England's first ever Commonwealth Hames gold medal win.
"When it happened, I didn't have time to think above that achievement, we just had to get on with the game against very tough Australian opponents, but since it happened, I have savoured that most rewarding moment."
Under Holly's former team-mate and adversary in the National League, Sarah Hopkin, King's Head of Hockey, the game is going from strength-to-strength at the top Macclesfield school.
Each week, King's fields two girls’ and boys’ Senior teams every Wednesday along with U12-15 teams on Saturdays and with two superb floodlit, all-weather pitches that are the envy of the North.
Sarah said: "It's important to make the sport fun, especially for the younger ones in Year 7, so they want to keep playing and look forward to practice.
"We have started making waves in national competitions and last year we had an astonishing six Senior players representing National League teams, so fingers crossed we may have our very own Holly soon."
Next up for Holly are Great Britain tours of Argentina in the Winter and New Zealand next spring.
She said: "I feel I am in the right place at the right time for women's sport. The success of the Lionesses in the summer showed just what can be achieved and there is a momentum growing behind all women's sport right here, right now."