HOCKEY star Alex Danson attempted to spur youngsters to success in both the sporting and everyday fields when she popped into Commonweal recently.

The 26-year-old forward, who has amassed more than 100 caps for England and was part of the Great Britain side that finished sixth at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, visited the Swindon school as part of Sky Sports’ ‘Living for Sport’ project, which works in conjunction with the Youth Sport Trust.

The project is a free initiative which more than a third of UK secondary schools have signed up for, and involves visits from stars such as Danson, with other mentors taking part including 400m sprinter Daniel Caines and bobsleigh queen Nicola Minichiello.

These visits function alongside pupils receiving targeted lessons designed to improve their confidence and academic achievement and give them a healthier lifestyle.

“The project uses sport to motivate, engage and inspire young people to be successful in their everyday lives,” explained Danson, who is training to become a teacher.

“I come in and use my experience I’ve had in sport to try and give them some really key messages that are transferrable over any walk of life.

“I always talk about having a goal, and it doesn’t matter if that’s in sport or anything else, how you get there is very similar.”

Danson’s pedigree at international level is huge. The Reading player became of the youngest-ever England players when she made her senior debut at just 16 in 2001, while she was still at school.

Since then she has played for her country more than 100 times and in a wide array of top international competitions, winning gold and bronze medals at the Champions Challenge and three bronzes at the European Nations Cup.

Danson has also played in two World Cups and alongside her Beijing Olympics experience, could well feature when the games come to London next summer.

The Southampton-born forward also played tennis to national level as a youngster but made the decision to choose hockey due to her passion for the sport.

Danson was the second sporting star to visit Commonweal within a matter of days after England rugby player Heather Fisher dropped in, also as part of the ‘Living for Sport’ project.