Flora Peel could now be training to join Team GB at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, but her path has led her to field hockey instead. With EuroHockey 2025 just around the corner taking place from 8 to 17 August in Mönchengladbach her focus is firmly on the turf, not the slopes.

Peel didn’t always dream of playing field hockey. Her childhood was spent between mountains, snow, and alpine skiing competitions. Born in Cheltenham, a British town known for its equestrian traditions, she soon traded the southwest of England for the French Alps, where she spent much of her early life.

In that environment, skiing was much more than a family hobby. Mornings started early, skis in hand, on technical downhill runs within a competitive atmosphere that quickly became her normal. “My mum used to bundle the three of us into the van and drive us to training at six in the morning. It was our routine. We loved it,” she recalled in an interview with The Telegraph. At just 12 years old, Flora was crowned British slalom champion — but one particular incident marked a turning point.

“I didn’t want to take that risk every day anymore”

Her sister Lucy suffered a fall during a downhill race that made the whole family rethink their relationship with skiing. Although the injury wasn’t permanent, the experience left its mark. “I saw my sister get seriously hurt. That was the moment I realised I didn’t want to take that risk every day anymore. It just didn’t feel fun anymore,” Peel explained. That moment triggered a personal shift. Not long after, the family relocated to the Netherlands, and skiing faded from her daily life.

There, she discovered a completely different approach to sport one based on collaboration and team spirit. “Skiing is very individual. You’re alone, going down the slope with your thoughts. With hockey, I discovered what it means to be part of a team. That hooked me from day one,” she said in comments shared by GloucestershireLive. Living in The Hague for several years, she began training with local clubs that already had strong development structures.

An uncommon family background

Outside the competitive spotlight, Peel’s family story also draws attention. She is a direct descendant of Robert Peel, the 19th-century British Prime Minister and founder of the modern police force. “I used to mention it as a fun fact when I got to university,” she said with a laugh. “It’s an interesting story, but it never really affected what I do.” Her life abroad, on the other hand, left a lasting impact, especially when it came to experiencing different sporting cultures.

During her time in France, beyond skiing, Peel also took part in swimming and athletics. In summer, training sessions were mixed with family trips to the lake and playful games with her sisters in a setting where sport was encouraged but never imposed. “My parents wanted us to try everything, without pressure. That really helped later when I gave up skiing. I didn’t feel like I had failed, just that I was changing paths,” she recalled.

Coming home: “I needed to stop”

After years of athletic development abroad, Peel returned to the UK to pursue her academic career. For a time, she combined studies with training, and later with her work as a sports paralegal. The intensity of the professional calendar and constant travel with the national team led her to take a temporary break after the Paris 2024 Olympics. “I needed to stop. For the first time in a long while, I wanted a normal routine living in London, going out with friends, going to work, and not thinking about sport 24/7,” she wrote on social media earlier this year.

Soon after, she announced her return to the Great Britain squad to prepare for EuroHockey 2025. While her current focus is firmly on hockey, her background and early experiences as a skier are never far away. “Everything I learned racing down mountains has helped me in hockey, the focus, the discipline, and above all, the self-confidence. They’re very different sports, but those feelings never really leave you,” she said.