Commonwealth Games are icing on the cake for netball champ Niamh
Birthday celebrations for Niamh Cooper, Royal Surrey locum doctor and semi-professional netball player, were a bit different this year as they took place while she was competing at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Niamh plays in wing defence and centre for the Guildford-based Surrey Storm netball team but was competing in the Commonwealth Games for her home Northern Ireland team.
Born in Belfast, Niamh has played netball since secondary school. After competing in several World Championships at junior level, Niamh joined the Senior Northern Ireland Team when she was just 21. She has played in two previous Commonwealth Games and won 65 caps for Northern Ireland.
Describing her experience in Birmingham, Niamh said: “It was thrilling to take part in the Commonwealth Games, one of those pinch me moments. Birmingham put on such a fantastic show with brilliant facilities it was just unbelievable to be a part of. I feel very, very lucky.
“I was very young at the last two Commonwealth Games I played at, especially the first one where I was the youngest on the team. This time round, I turned 30 whilst I was at the Games so I’m definitely one of the older ones now.”
Unlike some team sports, such as football or hockey, netball is a Commonwealth sport, which means the top twelve countries in the world compete in the Games, presenting a tough challenge for the Northern Ireland team.
Niamh said: “We qualified for the Games in November last year and were ranked in 11th position. We actually finished the Games in 10th position, which meant we came one above our current world ranking, so that was a good achievement.
“I did have my sights set on eighth and I really wanted to be in the seventh or eighth playoff, but that’s where working as a doctor comes in handy – it always gives you a dose of real life perspective.
“Whenever my team has lost a match and I’ve felt a bit disappointed, it can get me down for a couple of days because I’m very competitive. But going into work and treating someone who is very sick or injured, definitely helps put things into perspective. At the end of the day it is just netball and a match and I’m lucky to be healthy.
Since joining Royal Surrey’s Bank Team in 2020, Niamh has balanced working two or three shifts a week in A&E and AEC with her Surrey Storm and Northern Ireland netball commitments.
Praising the team she worked with, Niamh said: “The team at Royal Surrey are just fantastic. I’ve worked in lots of medical departments throughout my l career and I would say Royal Surrey is a favourite by a mile. The staff and the team are just brilliant and incredibly supportive. It was so lovely going back after the Games as everyone was so excited and pleased for me.
“I don’t think I could do what I do if it wasn’t for how supportive and flexible my work is. I count myself very lucky to be able to play netball and have the team at Royal Surrey and my work there as a doctor too.”