Karri was named as the Australian Hockey League’s best player in 2013.
It’s not often that a small country town, in this case with a population of around 5,000, produces two Olympians in the same sport for the same Olympic Games.
That’s the case with Georgie Parker and Karri McMahon, both of whom lived in and played for Berri in the Riverland Hockey League.
It’s another reflection of the stronghold that hockey has in South Australia’s country regions.
Karri McMahon arrived in the Riverland from Townsville in Queensland as a youngster, and it could be argued that her height – 179cms – was more suited to basketball or netball.
But she was introduced to hockey by her mother, and her father was a hockey coach who offered positive support with every comment and observation, helping build a springboard for his daughter’s multiple achievements:
There was a moment for McMahon that will live in her memory forever. It was the 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medal game in Glasgow and in the dying moments, Australia was down by a goal.
McMahon rose to the occasion in that extraordinary moment, and with 11 seconds remaining, scored the equaliser. That sent the game into overtime and the Hockeyroos ultimately won in penalty shootouts.
It was a moment and achievement to savour forever.
The 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics didn’t produce the results Australia wished for, but given McMahon was subject to multiple injuries including a double fracture to her jaw and a stress fracture in her foot in 2015, it was an outstanding achievement to earn her place in Australia’s best team a year later.
She also earned a silver medal at 3 consecutive Champions Trophy tournaments in Mendoza, London and Changzhou.
