Snooker host Katie Shanahan needed plastic surgery for horror injury before career change.
Former England women’s hockey star Katie Shanahan is making headlines again — but this time, not for goals or gold medals. The 26-year-old athlete-turned-media personality recently opened up about the terrifying moment that forced her into emergency plastic surgery and ultimately reshaped her entire career trajectory.
During an intense match several years ago, Shanahan suffered a brutal facial injury when a hockey ball struck her directly in the face at high speed. The impact shattered bones, dislocated her spine and left her vision temporarily impaired — a “horror injury” that required immediate reconstructive surgery at Oxford’s renowned plastic surgery unit ¹. Doctors warned the damage went beyond skin-deep: her spinal alignment was compromised, necessitating six months of painful rehabilitation before she could even consider returning to sport.
“It knocked my facial bones up and threw my spine out of place,” Shanahan recalled in a recent interview. “I didn’t realize how bad it was until a physio pointed out my eyes were wonky.” The trauma wasn’t just physical — the accident triggered flashbacks and deep anxiety, making it impossible for her to step back onto the pitch without fear ¹.
Despite her love for hockey — she represented England for five years, earned bronze at European Championships and played collegiate hockey in the U.S. on scholarship — Shanahan made the gut-wrenching decision to retire from professional play aged just 21 ². “I was the one always diving for short corners, putting my body on the line,” she said. “But after that hit… I left it too long. Now I’m just scared to go back.”
Yet rather than fade into obscurity, Shanahan channeled her passion into storytelling. She dove into university media roles, then landed gigs with Chelsea FC, Sky Sports News and BBC London before joining BBC Sport Manchester as a presenter and commentator ³. Today, she hosts snooker coverage — a far cry from the turf and sticks of her playing days — but still brings the same energy and insight she once used to read the game.
“I didn’t want to disappear,” Shanahan admitted. “Sports gave me purpose. So I found another way to serve it.” Her transition wasn’t seamless — juggling rehab, mental health struggles and weekend shifts kept her off the hockey field for three years — but she’s now thriving behind the camera ¹.
Beyond broadcasting, Shanahan has also carved out a niche as a director, cartoonist and storyboard artist, contributing to animated series like _Centaurworld_ and _The Twits_, and earning Joe Shuster Award nominations for her original comic work ⁴. It’s a testament to resilience: where one door slammed shut, she opened several others.
While Shanahan still occasionally picks up a football for casual kicks, hockey remains a ghost in her closet — something she misses deeply but hasn’t yet summoned the courage to reclaim. “If there was some form of head protection,” she mused, “I’d go back tomorrow.” Until then, she’s pouring her competitive spirit into mentoring young athletes and inspiring others through media.
Her story resonates: an athlete forced out by injury doesn’t have to vanish. Shanahan proves that reinvention is possible — even after horror injuries and heartbreak. Plastic surgery may have fixed her face, but it was her grit that rebuilt her future.
Be the first to comment