For inspirational captain Kate Richardson-Walsh, a whole host of honours have followed since hanging up her international hockey stick after that golden night in Rio.
The first hockey player to be included in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year shortlist, she became an OBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List – and now she’s being recognised on the continent.
Richardson-Walsh, who captained England and Great Britain for an astounding 13 years, amassing 375 caps along the way, has been nominated for a place in the European Hockey Hall of Fame.
Should the 36-year-old be inducted once the public vote closes, she will become the first British player to join the prestigious club.
And that, for Richardson-Walsh, is something she could never have dreamed of at the start of her 17-year career.
“It’s a huge honour. I remember being at the 2013 European Championships in Belgium when the first three people were being inducted into the Hall of Fame,” she said.
“I looked on thinking ‘wow, they’re legends of the game’, so it’s a big honour that I could join them.
“At the same time, it’s a bit strange because they’re individual accolades in a team sport.
“To represent your country is very special and something that I will hold dear for the rest of my life.
“To think that if I am inducted into the Hall of Fame, I will be representing a lot of people, and a lot of legends that we have had in the game in England and Great Britain, but I feel there should be more of us in there!”
Prior to August 19, an Olympic gold medal was something that had so far evaded Richardson-Walsh’s grasp.
At London 2012, she added bronze to a glittering CV that contained silverware galore across European Championships and Commonwealth Games, to name just a few.
But even she admits her career at the top of the game could not have finished in more perfect fashion.
“I could never have imagined my career to have ended like this,” she said. “I go into schools and tell the children that when I was sat where they are aged 14, I didn’t know what I was going to do.
“I thought I’d maybe be a PE teacher if I was lucky. Being a full-time athlete wasn’t an option when I was a youngster growing up.
“As a hockey team, all we want to do is show all those young people, boys and girls, that they can be whatever they want to be, and that they can follow their dreams.”
It’s fair to say there have been changes aplenty for Richardson-Walsh since bidding farewell to her days as an international athlete.
Alongside wife and teammate Helen, she’s moved to Holland to play club hockey, but regularly returns to British shores to inspire both the current and next generation alike.
But while Richardson-Walsh admits difficulty in adapting to life post-retirement, she’s confident more success is in the pipeline for the team she’s left behind.
“Danny Kerry turned the squad’s attention towards the new cycle three days after we won gold – he was talking about winning after winning,” she said.
“It’s the hardest thing to do in sport. The new team has turned their attentions to it, they’re working really hard, and I’m sure they will be absolutely firing on all cylinders.
“It’s hard not to be with them, but it definitely was the right time for me to retire. That doesn’t make it any easier though.
“You’re losing part of yourself , it’s part and parcel of who you are and it’s in your DNA, so to leave that behind is difficult.
“I’m used to knowing what I’m wearing at what time, what I’m eating and what training session I’m doing, and life after retirement is the complete opposite of that.
“It’s taking some getting used to, it’s a big change but it’s a good one.”
By Katie Falkingham
Sportsbeat 2017