On International Nurses Day we salute and thank those who are working tirelessly throughout all sectors of our health system to help save lives, including football’s own Casey Dumont.
Goalkeeper Casey Dumont is used to being cool under pressure on the football pitch, but off the pitch those same qualities are proving invaluable during her return to the nurses’ station.
During this period of COVID-19, while many of us have played our part by going into lockdown, Dumont and hundreds and thousands of nurses have been out on the pandemic front lines keeping communities safe.
It was after a recent shift in one of the many under her supervision that Dumont spoke about this unprecedented time and the effect of lockdown.
“I was busy today,” she explained.
While many Australians have found the coronavirus pandemic challenging for the isolation, Dumont and her nursing cohorts have been in hectic with barely a minute to just breathe.
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Dumont works in the health system with a host of responsibilities.
“I haven’t had time to properly think,” she said. “It was a shock the first week.”
“I'm on call so there's no rest for the wicked.”
Since graduating as a registered nurse in 2013, Casey Dumont has often kept her nursing life separate from her football one. However, the attributes that make her a decorated goalkeeper, like performing under pressure, are the same attributes that saw her drawn to a career in nursing.
“I noticed in first aid scenarios, I never run away or freeze, I am always the one who helps,” she said.
When I was younger, I always knew I wanted to be in some sort of emergency help - whether it was paramedic, police or firies.”
Though, as her goalkeeping career took off as a teenager, those dreams took a backseat to the football dreams.
A championship with Brisbane Roar, 2010 AFC Women’s Asian Cup victory and 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup followed before a hip injury in 2012 resulted in Dumont’s prolonged absence from the game.
With football on the backburner, Dumont dusted off the books and went back to pick up that career as a health professional.
“The minute I started I loved it, so I just stuck with it.”
“I kind of had the same feeling I get with soccer. It fills that void I get when I am not playing on the pitch.”
[Nursing] is always challenging. I always have a big period that I am away from it so when I come back it’s like ‘oh yeah, this is why I love it.’”
The 28-year-old’s return to the nurses’ station was an unexpected one. Following the conclusion of Melbourne Victory’s Westfield W-League campaign, the Queenslander looked to make a quick visit to her family’s Gold Coast home.
However, that quick visit has turned into a two month stint following the measures taken by the Queensland Government to protect the public during the pandemic.
“The minute we got knocked out in the semis, I spent five days just packing up my stuff and enjoying Melbourne without having to worry about training.”
“Four days later [after arriving in Queensland], the borders closed.”
Everything happens for a reason and it seems that nothing needed to happen now so I just went and did it.”
Nursing has provided Dumont an opportunity to help her local community and refocus the ‘keeper’s mind away from football for the meantime.
The role comes with a different set of challenges, but the Victory custodian has never shied away from stepping up when required.
“Nursing is always hard. There is no easy part about it, and you have got to be a special breed to do it,” Dumont explains.
“Time management is key. I’m constantly on my toes, ready. I've got my Fitbit on and it seems I'm walking a good eight to thirteen kilometres every day.”
“It’s a different accomplishment – saving lives, keeping people safe, healing them and doing things they can’t do.”
Not many people get two things that they love so I went into nursing and it’s a good feeling, but I am also good at soccer.”
With two Westfield W-League championships and two premierships, Casey Dumont has definitely been good at football part of her double act.
In the 2018/19 season, the guardian was instrumental in helping Melbourne Victory to the Premier’s Plate and this season to the Westfield W-League finals.
While her club side were eliminated in the semi-finals, the shot stopper had a stellar season between the sticks receiving Professional Footballer’s Australia’s Goalkeeper of the Year Award. With the Tokyo Olympics now over 12 months away, Dumont is focussed on being the best player and being prepared for anything.
For the moment, Casey Dumont’s focus is on her patients and getting them through the pandemic. Yet, even then, the other love is never far from her mind.
“I'm missing soccer massively because I've been living and breathing soccer full time since 2016.”
“But at the moment I am “in season” with nursing and it’s good being helpful.”
