Local Face: Katie Malliff
Katie is 13 years old, and was born and bred in Wendover.
She is a pupil at Tring School. Katie is England No 1 under 15 squash champion and destined to be a future star in this sport. She has realistic ambitions to be World Champion.
Katie has recently won the British Closed under 15 Championship, despite having only just turned 13. She is accustomed to competing way above her age group, being the under 19 Bucks ladies champion, and regularly beating adult men when she plays for the Wendover Men’s Squash team in the Bucks leagues.
Katie is a member of the Wendover Tennis and Squash Club, and this is her squash base. She is often to be found in the squash club helping with training the junior squad, or training with her stepsister Olivia before and after school, and at the weekend. She is coached locally by her mum, Tricia Malliff, and also by Steve Evans and Adam Fuller.
Katie is a multifaceted athlete, having played football and rugby as a younger child. She can turn her talents to play many other sports, including hockey, netball and tennis, but her main love at the moment is squash. This passion, and probably her ability, may have something to do with the fact that her mother, Tricia is the squash coach at Wendover. Tricia has grown the junior squash members at Wendover to over 80 children, all of whom play squash weekly at this small club. The ethos is one of enjoyment over competition, and this is evident both day to day at the squash club, and during Katie’s own squash activities. That being said, Katie has an enormous will to win, and is incredibly resilient even on the odd occasion when she is not ahead in a game. She invariably comes out with a win.
The discipline required to improve her squash abilities, and the confidence that this has given Katie has also helped her to improve her academic performance at school.
Katie has a very supportive family, all of whom (thankfully) share her love of the sport. She is incredibly well grounded for a child who is so successful and talented. She attends a local school, and trains hard, but despite being an elite athlete manages the life of a normal 13 year old girl.
Katie has now been identified as very talented by England squash. She is one of only 10 children in the England Development Team – and is the youngest girl, by two years. She travels to Manchester monthly for training in all aspects of the game.
Katie recently travelled to Holland to play, and in fact to win, the Dutch Open under 15 Championship. This was a massive win, playing against girls from all over the world , and beating the Egyptian first seed in the final. This trip was generously funded by the Lionel Abel Trust, to whom Katie is very grateful.
In December Katie traveled to the USA to play the US Open Junior Squash Tournament. In order to develop, Katie has to play an increasing number of international tournaments. Wendover Tennis and Squash club are immensely proud of this young, incredibly modest and well adjusted player, and wish to support her in any way possible.
They intend to run a fund raising quiz night at St Anne’s Hall on January 20th to raise funds for Katie to be able to travel to more tournaments.
If you would like to support in any way, please contact Ann Cooke on 01296 620007, or Tricia Wright on 01296 624693 – or if you would like to come to the quiz or make up a table for the event, please get in touch with Ann or Tricia. Tables are for 8 people – £10 per head to include supper.
Please help support Katie!