POLOKWANE – On Tennis South Africa’s rankings, she is ranked number 15 in the category singles for women over 50. And she lives right here on our doorstep.
“My parents started playing tennis when they moved to Faure in Cape Town in 1957. There was a tennis court and it was the only activity we could do as a family. My whole family used to play.”
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This soon developed in Allison a love for the game, “it is also the game that kept me from making some bad choices in my life”.
Allison has been working as an administrator at the Department of Water and Sanitation in the city since she moved here from Cape Town to Polokwane 16 years ago.
She is a firm believer that tennis teacher a person responsibility and discipline.
“Tennis has benefitted my health throughout the years. I feel good when playing and it helps to keep me agile.”
It is also a great way to make friends for life, she added.
Besides her ranking in the singles, she is also seeded number 19 in the doubles and number 31 in the women over 50 XD or mixed doubles rankings.
She admits that, even though the current players are fast and agile, she would like to play against Petra Kvitova “as she has the height and agility to reach any ball”.
Her role model is her older sister, Jeanne.
“At 61 years old, she has been coached by South African champions Frew Macmillan, Bob Hewitt, Linky Boshoff and Illana Kloss.
She has also played in the former Tennis Sugar Circuit at different venues across the country, but due to the segregation in sport many years ago, she could not further her tennis career.”
Allison dreams of representing the country in an event.
“I am a fighter on court and enjoy running down tennis balls any time,” she says.
Besides tennis, she also enjoys latino dancing, reggaeton and salsa, and listening to all genres of music, baking and the outdoors, walking with her dogs.
“Tennis is a beautiful game and my plea to Tennis South Africa, and the Department of Sport, to put more effort into securing sponsorships and aggressive marketing of the game to all corners of the country.
“I understand it is a very expensive game, but exposure at an early age is vital. To still play tennis at my age is a blessing from God,” Allison concludes.
