On the day that the Great Britain squad landed in Chengdu, China ahead of The World Games 2025, England & GB player Lauren Hart spoke to the British Lacrosse Instagram channel about her preparation for the tournament, studying in the US, and what she hopes to achieve at this year’s event.
“I am most excited to play as a team,” Hart told British Lacrosse, “and accomplish our goals and push the boundaries that British Lacrosse hasn't done yet.”
Having studied for her undergraduate degree in the US and playing lacrosse for the University of California , Davis, Hart recently relocated over the pond to continue her studies at the University of Exeter alongside a number of fellow England and Great Britain athletes.
“It's been a great experience. We've built the programme and we got to compete in the National Championship for lacrosse. It's been a great experience learning more about the system here in the UK and figuring out how we can grow as a sport here and continue to get better.”
Moving away from home and studying in England has been a big change for the 22-year-old but one she sees as an integral part of her personal and athletic growth.
“I think it's just great to see the development and my learning process,” said Hart, “because when I first started this year, I hadn't really had that much sixes experience, but I think now I can say I'm a little bit more seasoned. And it's just exciting to get to learn from every opportunity we get on and off the pitch.”
Being selected for the Great Britain squad for The World Games has seen Hart travel across the world and, she believes, has helped her to become a better all-round player.
“This year started off with a great experience in Indianapolis where we got to play against some of the best teams in the world. And I think that, from that experience, we've only grown and got better.
“Individually, I've been trying to focus on my in-tight dodging, my 1v1 defending, just trying my best to stay in shape over the summer and keep hitting the wall.”
Hart and Great Britain begin their The World Games campaign at 7:30am (UK) on 7 August in Chengdu against hosts China in Group A.
For more information about the competition, click HERE.