To whom it may concern:

Support letter for CCSA new courts

I appreciate the opportunity to offer my support to the NSW Central Coast Squash Association (CCSA) in their efforts to keep the sport alive in the region.

After competing on the World platform, I was always proud to represent Australian squash at the Commonwealth Games. I would not have been able to even chase my dream to be World Champion if I didn’t have facilities available to play, to train, to compete in tournaments, to hone my skills, to get to the international level I played. So I can appreciate how the squash community must be feeling when there is little hope for the future of the game on the Central Coast.

I hope my career efforts in the past and my work in the sport over the years, inspires more Australians to play squash. Not just juniors (our future champions), but also those at all levels from beginner to elite, young and old. I hope people are inspired to keep on playing the game I love. Keep participating in local pennants… Keep building lifelong friendships… Keep training to be the best you can be… Keep traveling to tournaments - – juniors, doubles, opens, social, masters… Keep fit, keep active, keep doing what you love. For those on the Central Coast that opportunity will be taken away when the last remaining centre at Wyong closes.

US magazine Forbes recently declared squash the healthiest sport of all, in terms of cardio respiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance & flexibility. Having trained under squash legends Heather McKay and , I am fully aware of how much training is involved to get to the top and stay competitive. But even for the average person, playing squash brings so many health benefits in such a short time, which in such a busy world is great for those that are time poor. And junior squash is where we can achieve the best results, cementing a healthy body and mind approach at a young age and preventing obesity, not just in children, but also as adults – because squash is a game for life – a game for all ages, all levels, and since it’s an indoor sport, even all weather conditions.

For these reasons & many more we hope & urge state & local governments to fully support this CCSA volunteer initiative to keep squash alive, not just for Central Coast participants, but also for the wider community of Australian players as tournaments are run.

Yours Sincerely, Michelle Martin