Forward momentum

England flanker Heather Fisher is rebuilding her career and inspiring more girls to take up rugby.

Heather hopes her remarkable recovery can inspire others...

England and Worcester's Heather Fisher feared her rugby career was over when she was diagnosed with a double fracture in her back. Nine months on, the flanker is aiming to represent her country once again in this month's Hong Kong Sevens. Heather, a Sky Sports Living for Sport athlete mentor, told Oli Burley how she hopes her story can inspire others... Oli: You look in great shape - how are you feeling? Heather: I've been fully fit for three weeks now so I'm really hoping to be selected for Hong Kong! I've put in 4-5 hours of rehab a day for the last seven months, so a hell of a lot of work, but my body is there and psychologically I'm ready too. Oli: Did you ever doubt that you would fully recover? Heather: At one stage I was told that I might not make it back - that I had a 50 per cent chance - and that hit me pretty hard. The thought of never pulling on an England shirt, running out and singing the national anthem again was a great inspiration. Fractures like mine [in the L4 vertebra] don't always heal, so I'm lucky that mine have. Oli: England are unbeaten so far after three Six Nations games. Is it bitter-sweet to see the team winning in your absence? Heather: I want to see them do well because playing for England has been a major part of my life ever since I first got into the squad. We're lucky that we have depth in our squad because it's really being tested in all areas at the moment! Of course, it's frustrating not to be involved so I'm looking at the bigger picture, which is the Hong Kong Sevens, the 2013 World Cup Sevens, then hopefully the World Cup, the Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Games in 2016. The quicker I can get back into the team, the quicker I can do my job. Oli: France are also unbeaten - just how big is Sunday's clash in Paris? Heather: France are a very hard side to beat and if there's one team they always turn up against, it's us. They are a good, positive side that plays quality rugby so it's going to be a tough one but to be honest I think the girls will do a job on them - but only if we play our top-notch rugby. I think the girls would agree that so far we've got the points without performing to our absolute best. Oli: You're kidding, right? England have beaten Scotland 47-0, Italy 43-3 and Wales 33-0... Heather: You can look at a match and go 'great result' or you can look at it and ask how many times have you executed a move the way you want to? These are girls who are playing at the very highest level and I think executing a play is one of the areas the coaches are looking to improve. But I must admit I'd take any sort of win against France - even an ugly one! Oli: The team still won't get big headlines, though, will it? How much has coverage of women's rugby improved since you first started playing? Heather: Loads! It's a real shame we don't get the same coverage as the men, especially given the amount of work that goes into women's rugby. The girls train full time, they work full time - which means you've got to balance your life around everything else! It can be a real, real juggle. But Sky Sports are really supporting us and it's made a huge difference. A few years ago we weren't on most people's radar - you could be playing for your country and no-one would know. Then our games against New Zealand were on TV and the game's popularity has really started to grow.
Oli: But presumably there's still a long way to go? Heather: Yes, but it is changing. People used to ask me if we could tackle or pass the ball! Now I meet more and more men who say 'wow, you girls can play'; they see that we play with aggression and aren't afraid to go in hard. The men's game will always be more powerful and faster, but sometimes the women's game is a bit more precise because they take that extra split-second to see what's on. It's really important to be seen as a rugby player rather than a women's rugby player. Oli: So how do you juggle your commitments? Heather: It's hard. I was working part-time as a sports lecturer at Birmingham Metropolitan College but I recently packed that in because I wanted to focus fully on my training, as well as my work for Sky Sports Living for Sport and my Academy. Sport is a great way to bring someone out of their skin and help them succeed and be happy; as an Athlete Mentor for Living for Sport, I'm lucky enough to see first-hand across the Midlands how big an impact sport can have on young people of all ages. It's one of the reasons that I set up the Heather Fisher Academy - to help children build up their confidence and self-esteem so they can grow as individuals. It's very important to follow where you want to go, not where others want you to. Oli: Even if that path leads you to bobsleigh?! Heather: Definitely! That was a fantastic part of my life. I competed for Great Britain for two years and I loved it; it made me the powerful athlete I am today. I got a bit stale in rugby; I'm not ashamed to say I took it for granted. I wanted that England shirt but I needed an extra push; the fact that I said to my coach, 'look, if I'm good enough I'll come back when I'm ready' says it all. However after a while I really missed rugby's team element. I realised that I didn't want to do bobsleigh full-time, that for me it was all about that England shirt, running out in front of thousands of people and playing with my best mates. But bobsleigh turned me into a real powerful athlete and that helped my rugby. Oli: Did it always feel like rugby was meant to be? Heather: When I was younger I used to watch TV and think Jonah Lomu was absolutely incredible. His power was awesome and I used to wish I could run over people just like he did. In the back of my mind I always like to think of myself as a bit like him. Then, when I first came into the England squad, I was inspired by players like Susie Appleby, Jo Yapp and George Stevens - great players for England. I'd look at them and think 'wow, you are doing what I want to do'. Now I train at the Alexandra Stadium in Birmingham and am inspired by athletes like Kelly Sotherton and Louise Hazel; I really admire their ability to train hard but also rest hard. Most people only see the athlete compete and the interview on TV; I'm lucky to see what they put in every single day of their life in the gym, on the track; how they balance their life, the nutrition side of it, the training and how they make sure they get enough recovery time. Oli: How can girls who want to try rugby follow in your footsteps? Heather: There are more and more taster sessions, so I'd recommend trying one of those, or playing touch or tag rugby at school. When I grew up I suffered badly with anorexia and one of the parts of the game that I struggled with was the contact and confrontation - funny really, because contact is now one of the biggest parts of my game! But if you put on a taster session, girls can see it is not just about smashing someone over but that there are lots of different elements to it: passing, running, teamwork, developing skills. To find out more about Heather and her work visit her Academy website or follow her on Twitter. Make sure you stay up-to-date with Sky Sports Living for Sport @SkySportsLFS or SkySportsOli