I grew up as a country girl reared in a tent. Following the Depression my Dad went from job to job in the bush. Being a small child during World War II gave me the practical knowledge and realisation that tough times and hard work did not hurt people but brought out in them resourcefulness, character, and endurance. As a young girl, for three years, I spent many hours hitting a tennis ball against the verandah wall of our farm house. One day my Dad took me to tennis where I made a proper nuisance of myself to the players by running backwards and forwards retrieving and hitting ball. This began my love of hand-eye co-ordination sports. One rainy day our tennis group tried playing squash instead, and I became "hooked". I liked the fact that squash was an all-weather sport played indoors that gave me heaps of exercise and enjoyment for more than forty years. I was the first woman coach in Queensland and enjoyed the development opportunities of a pioneer.
