Jade Beckmann story

Underwater hockey, originally known as Octopush, was invented by the British Navy in the 1950’s to strengthen the men’s fitness and breathing capacity. Today it is played in over 40 countries worldwide, yet remains a niche sport. Six against six, players fight to manoeuvre a 1.2 kg puck along the bottom of the pool with their stick, aiming for the opposing team's goal. A key characteristic is that players may not use breathing devices.

After about 25 seconds underwater, Jade’s lungs are pounding, she’s running out of time. Players can surface to breathe whenever they need, but they are always thinking about timing and making sure other teammates are still down. "You can usually stay down longer than you think. If you tell yourself 'Stay down another ten seconds', you can normally do it. Only once I have seen someone faint, so the risk is always there." With milliseconds to spare, Jade shoots to the surface for a few quick breaths. “The lack of oxygen is a constant mental struggle. It can mean the difference between scoring or losing a goal.” She promptly dives back down.

After swiping the puck from the opposition, Jade musters up all her strength and 'flicks' it, sending it flying a few metres over to a team mate who sprints off towards the goal tray on the back wall. The goalie, who had just gone up to breathe, didn’t expect the sudden break through and doesn’t make it back down in time. A goal is scored. One of the three referees in the water signals it to the chief referee on dry land. The players get ready for the bell to ring underwater, sounding the start of a new round. 

The dynamic nature of underwater play and the gear involved means that there is little spoken communication between players during the game. Working together in such circumstances requires a lot of trust, as well as a deep connection between each member. “You have to believe that everyone is going to be where they should be, and that you’ll be able to predict your teammate’s next move based on how well you know them.”

Growing up in the relaxed, leafy-green, suburbs of Auckland, New Zealand, just a stone’s throw away from the nearest beach, park or mountain, Jade was happiest outdoors, swimming, skiing, camping and hiking. She first discovered underwater hockey at 13 on advice from a friend at the high school sports fair. “I loved the thrill and speed of the underwater game play. I found it quirky, unconventional and mentally stimulating. I was immediately hooked.”

Despite the “worst training slots” at 6am on Wednesdays and 8pm Saturdays and having to haul her metre-long bag of gear around campus, Jade continued to play throughout her five years at high school, reaching a self-professed “decent” level. She went on to represent Auckland at regional level and then New Zealand in the U18 Women’s squad. In 2016, in her final year at school, she competed in the Trans-Tasman Championship in Hobart, Australia, helping her team to finish in 2nd place.

Arriving at University of Auckland (UoA), Jade threw herself into her Finance, Marketing and Computer Science degree and joined the Management Consulting Club. “With the help of a coach, we would ‘consult’ companies on a given issue, coming up with a solution to pitch during a presentation. In time we would compete with other schools.” Jade’s new responsibilities meant that she took a step back from her outdoor pursuits to focus on her academics. But while her involvement in the club came with sacrifices, it also got her to travel to foreign places, like London. “It was amazing, because it led me to representing New Zealand across the world at various international business competitions.”

She was lucky enough to return to London to work as an Equity specialist at Bloomberg. But visiting a city and living there are two different things. The move was a big shift. “The first time I took the tube I thought ‘No way. This isn’t for me.’ Now I cycle or walk to get around, whatever the weather. I’m much happier breathing fresh air!” That said, it was a further 12 months before quite spontaneously, wearing a borrowed mask and fraying fins, she hopped back in the water, to play her first game of Underwater Hockey in years. “It was such a rush! With my focus on studies and career over the past few years, I hadn’t realised how much I’d missed it.”

Jade’s hours at Pictet as a US equity trader (noon to 10 pm) make it difficult for her to attend evening training sessions, but she trains on her own in the mornings before work (“Yey for the empty pool at 10am!”) and travels all over the UK or sometimes Europe, to join training camps and competitions at the weekends. With her reputation as a former ‘coulda-gone-pro Kiwi’ player, Jade is usually welcomed onto any team with open arms. “I’m currently training with an elite squad. They have monthly training camps up in Leeds, in London or in Sheffield. It sounds good but the reality is far from glamourous: travelling late on a Friday night or really early on a Saturday morning. Now I’ve made some good friends, the travelling is not so dull.”

Her morning solo drills are disciplined. With her gear on, she practices swimming with fins and doing classic lengths underwater – she can go 75 meters without taking a breath. Then, she dives to the bottom of the pool, to practice flicking the puck or turning with it, all while coming up and down, over and over. “I get funny looks when I do that.”

Both in trading and underwater hockey, Jade has found that swift decision-making is crucial. The two disciplines also share a fast-paced, mentally challenging environment. And even if Jade occasionally holds her breath, hoping for her charts to rise again, she finds that working as a team is significantly easier when she’s able to breathe and speak to teammates! 

When she’s not under water, holding her breath, Jade is an Equity Trader at Pictet Asset Management.