Skating through claims: A Roller Hockey Q&A with an Insurance Specialist

As Barry Nilsson continues its sponsorship of the Australian Women’s Roller Hockey team for a second competition, we caught up with Hannah Lincoln, a standout professional who balances an impressive career in the insurance industry with her role as captain of the team.

In this Q&A, Hannah shares insights from her remarkable journey, her experiences balancing dual careers, and her preparations for the 2024 World Skate Games in Italy.

Who introduced you to roller hockey and how old were you when you started playing?

I was around 13 years old, and I’ve been playing ever since. My mother bought me a pair of skates and didn’t want me skating around the street, so she took me to a local rink. During a Friday night session, I saw someone walking out with a hockey stick. I was drawn to it instinctively and here we are 30 years later. I started training regularly and quickly progressed to playing nationally at 16.

What does your roller hockey career look like to date and how has it influenced your life?

Over the past 30 years, I’ve represented Australia in seven world championships and numerous international and interstate tournaments, including in New Zealand where I play for Taranaki, a local team in New Plymouth, as well as Stafford, my local team in Brisbane, where we recently won our national club championship for the third year in a row. Roller hockey has been a significant part of my life, providing me with a sense of community, purpose, and confidence. It has taken me around the world, including China, Portugal, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, Germany, Brazil and Spain, allowing me to make lifelong friends and enrich my life, especially during my most formative years.

How do you juggle your insurance career with your career in roller hockey at an international level?

It requires a balance between dedication and passion. My insurance career began in a call centre, leading to a Service Manager role at QBE where I worked on liability and casualty claims. This experience paved the way for my current position as a Senior Claims Specialist at AXA XL.

Alongside my insurance career, my interest in fitness and studying to become a personal trainer, has been instrumental in maintaining my health and wellbeing. Nowadays, I’m especially drawn to Gen Z’s mindset in that they don’t have the same full-on focus on a single career like we were taught. They want to travel, live life, and have flexible hours. That balance between personal wellbeing and professional fulfillment resonates with me. What’s life if you don’t have your health?

What have been some of your most significant achievements in roller hockey?

Winning the gold medal against Japan at the Asian Roller Skating Championships in China last year. We had lost to them earlier in the week, so on paper, they were always going to win. But we made it to the finals against them. Despite being down 0-3 at halftime, we rallied to win 4-3, I happened to be in the right position to score the fourth goal. Scoring that goal felt like the culmination of 20 years of muscle memory. With just seven minutes left on the clock, I was exhausted but the energy from my teammates pushing to defend our lead was incredible. It was one of the greatest moments of my life – the crowd support we had from our New Zealand friends and our Men’s team was magic.

What drove your transition from local to international competition, and what advice do you have for others aiming for similar success?

Sponsorship is crucial. Our training camps and overseas tournaments are self-funded, which limits our resources and training opportunities. We depend on sponsorships, like Barry Nilsson’s, to ease the financial burden, giving us more opportunities to train together and compete internationally. This support has been pivotal in allowing skilled players who might not have the financial means to be part of the team on a world stage. For women in particular, this support also helps to raise profiles and increase representation, providing more opportunities for female talent to be developed and nurtured. By investing in quality people and their futures, we can leverage the significant cultural impact that sport and community have on our society.

Despite being played worldwide, roller hockey is not currently an Olympic sport. Why do you think that is, and what are the biggest challenges facing your national roller hockey team in Australia?

Unfortunately, roller hockey doesn’t have the global reach that a lot of Olympic sports have. The Olympic Games select sports that demonstrate global appeal, gender equality, youth engagement and commercial potential – areas where roller hockey is still growing. This is why sponsorship is so crucial in increasing our exposure to the world.

Another challenge is the lack of rinks, which complicates training and makes it hard to attract new players. Our team members are spread across Australia and often train only three to four times a year due to high costs and logistical issues. As President of my club, Stafford Roller Sports, the committee and I are focused on addressing these challenges by raising funds, securing resources, and preparing future leaders to ensure our ongoing success and growth. Despite these obstacles, we remain committed to the sport.

Your team is competing at the upcoming World Skate Games in Italy this September – how are you preparing for this unique experience, and what are your goals for the team?

We train individually at our clubs across the country and meet as a national team every two months in Brisbane. Self-discipline and motivation are key, with each player committing to a fitness program. I'm just as excited about experiencing Italy as I am about the competition itself – the culture, food, and memories with teammates will be unforgettable.

Ultimately, our goal is to win a medal, but we're also in a transition period with some senior players retiring and younger ones stepping up. We recently had a bonding activity where we paired up and exchanged one childhood and one recent photo. Then, we shared stories and answered questions, which encouraged everyone to be honest and open. Our team is a safe space to be authentic and never feel judged. We became closer as a team – a family. This is part of our goals, to create a community that honours and respects one another. If we can achieve this, but not a medal, we still win.