Petra Pravikova is injured and did not travel with the Slovakian team for the 2012 World Championship. She is a forward playing for a club team in Belarus. She "spoke" to WINIH via email February 2012.
Q: How long have you played on the national team?
A: I’ve been playing for 11 years.
Q: What have been the highlights on the team?
A: The big success was winning the qualification for Olympic Games in 2010 in Bad Tolz…After that it was all the championships-we won in Pyongyang division II, then in Ventspils we finished on 2nd place at division I year later we won division I. in Graz and final championship we played in Zurich in TOP division..3rd place on the 24th Winter Universiade in Erzurum.
Q: How did you get involved in hockey?
A: I got involved in hockey when I was 11years old. My first coach was from my hometown, Mr.Bednar, he is an awesome man, wonderful player and perfect coach. He saw me skating with hockey skates and he invited me to come to his team’s hockey practice. Since that day I have always been interested in hockey and playing. My parents supported me all the time.
Q: What do you love about playing the game?
A: Everything…the adrenaline, emotions-feeling when you win the game, feeling when you have only one minute left and your team is losing and you are on the ice and you can change it. I love tough games up until the last second you are not sure who will win the game. I love to play for others, when I can do what is helpful for the team it makes me feel like I belong somewhere.
Q: Growing up…difficulties… challenges to play hockey in your country as a girl…
A: I started to play hockey when I was 11years old and I had no chance to grow up and play with boys but it didn’t stop me). Sometimes it was hard because women had practices 3 times per a week usually at the evening about 8-9pm and for young girl was hard to make it, but what doesn’t kill you, will make you stronger right??
Q: What do your teammates call you? A nickname?
A: Everybody in the “hockey world” knows me as PEPE or PEPESKO..it doesn’t mean anything, it’s just a nickname..
Q: What do your parents think of how the game has progressed?
A: my parents think that our hockey moved a lot forward during last few years. When they are talking about my first steps in hockey and our play-like team SVK 8 years before, they are still surprised and impressed how fast we improved and progressed..
Q: What was your favourite experience in the last major event you participated in?
A: The last greatest experiences what I remember the most was first one on qualification for OG in Vancouver 2010 in the German town, Bad Tloz in 2008..we won and it was indescribable feeling inside. And the second one was when we won World Championship in Gratz in 2009 and moved to the top division between the best 8 hockey countries on the world…it was best time ever. I will never forget those special moments of my life..
Q: What do you think of other teams in world competition?
A: I think that USA and CAN are really top level and other European teams I guess we can play the same level of hockey as them.
Q: Do you want to play in another country? If yes why?
A: am happy to play for SVK national team and for my club team. I would love to play abroad because its more interesting… you can see a lot, you can learn a lot and each time it’s a new experience.
Q: What is a typical day? Do you work?
A: Right now I am playing in Minsk (Belarus). And my work is hockey. But I love to go to “work.” It’s priceless… I love to wake up, go on the ice, practice, then to a fitness work out, then with all the team members to lunch and after that about 3-4pm we are free… so that’s usually my day.
Q: What would be your dream for wms hockey in your country?
A: I hope that one day Slovakia will have as many young girls players as boys…I would like to see improvements in young girls and more playing.
Q: What has happened in your hockey playing life so far that has helped the women’s game in your country?
A: I guess it was the steps we made as national team-like we moved from division II. to division I. and then moved to TOP division and last step we made it to Olympics in 4years..so I think this was unbelievable in that short time move that fast and this was the first step for people to recognize us that women hockey also exist is Slovakia..
Q: What is a challenge now for women in your country?
A: The challenge is to stay in TOP division as long as it’s possible and play with the best teams in the world…
Q: What else would you like to say about women’s hockey in your country?
A: I would like to say that I hope everything in women hockey will get better in our country. Put more money into the sport, make hockey classes for girls and build more sport centres. There’s a lot I would like to say, but the most important is always to play with heart and then it will get better!