Sensational Saints squash star, Gaby Beauchamp (17) has dreams of playing skid boasts, lobs and length shots for South Africa.
The Bryanston resident currently plays for the Gauteng U19 girls team and was in the St Stithians Girls’ College team that won the Gauteng Top Schools tournament in June and finished fourth in the SA Top Schools tournament in July.
“My main goal, which I am working hard and focusing on, is making the world side in 2017,” she said. The world side is the South African U19 team that plays in the annual World Junior Championships.
Beauchamp started playing squash in Grade 4 and loves the physical and mental challenges of the sport. “I also enjoy the social side of it which has enabled me to meet other people from other provinces and countries.”
One of Beauchamp’s most recent achievements was beating her school coach, Cindy Purchase. Purchase is a World Masters squash player who won the plate event for the women’s 50–59 age group at this year’s World Squash Federation World Masters Squash Championships and has coached many Gauteng female squash players over the years.
“When I think one of my girls is ready, we play a match and if they beat me, we know they are good,” Purchase said, adding that at that point there was not much more she could help the player with. Purchase said Beauchamp “has had a naturally good squash style from day one”, but her mental game needed work.
According to Purchase, Beauchamp used to be ‘too well mannered’ on the court, which cost her concentration and points and was sometimes distracted by audience members. “However, she has in the last year, completely zoned into one-pointed concentration, learning to keep herself in the moment for every point.”
Purchase believes that Beauchamp will become an international player representing SA for many years to come.
Beauchamp commented that Purchase had helped her grow as a squash player. “Cindy has been my school coach since I’ve started playing squash. She has always motivated me and believed in me,” she said.
