Heather McKay facts for kids
| Full name | Heather Pamela McKay |
|---|---|
| Country |  Australia |
| Born | 31 July 1941 |
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) |
| Turned Pro | 1960 (squash) |
| Retired | 1979 (squash) |
| Women's Singles | |
| Highest ranking | 1 |
| World Open | W (1976, 1979) |
Heather Pamela McKay (born July 31, 1941) is an amazing Australian athlete. Many people believe she is the greatest female squash player ever! She was unbeatable in squash during the 1960s and 1970s.
Heather won the British Open 16 times in a row, from 1962 to 1977. She also captured the first women's World Open title in 1976. What's even more incredible is that she remained undefeated in squash for 18 years! Besides squash, she was also a top player in other sports like field hockey and racquetball.
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Heather McKay's Early Life and Sports Beginnings
Heather Blundell was born in 1941 in Queanbeyan, Australia. She grew up in a large family with eleven children. Her parents always encouraged her to play sports.
She played tennis in the summer and hockey in the winter. Heather didn't discover squash until she was eighteen years old. She started playing squash to help her fitness.
First Squash Successes
At first, Heather played squash just for fun. A friend then suggested she enter the New South Wales Country Championship. She won both the junior and women's titles at this event.
Her success caught the eye of the Australian Squash Association president. He recommended she compete in the 1960 New South Wales Championships in Sydney. She won the junior tournament there.
Heather then decided to focus more on squash. Even though she loved squash, she still played other sports too. A famous squash champion, Hashim Khan, even said she "could be very good."
Becoming a Champion
In 1960, Heather won the Australian squash title for the first time. She went on to win this title thirteen more times in a row! She also won the New South Wales and Victoria championships many times.
To help her career, she moved to Sydney with support from sponsors. There, she met Brian McKay, and they married in 1965. She then started using his last name, McKay.
In 1962, Heather lost a match at the Scottish Championship. This was only her second loss in her professional career. It was also her last loss until she retired in 1979!
That same year, she played in the British Open Squash Championship for the first time. This tournament was seen as the unofficial world championship until 1976. Heather won it and then won it fifteen more times in a row!
Other Sports and Later Career
Heather McKay was also a talented field hockey player. She represented Australia in hockey in 1967 and 1971.
In 1975, she moved to Toronto. In 1976, she won the first World Open Squash for women. She also won the US squash championship in 1977.
In 1979, she won the World Open Squash again. This time, it was officially recognized as the world championship.
At 38 years old, Heather retired from squash. She wrote a book called Heather McKay's Complete Book of Squash. After retiring, she started playing racquetball and was very successful.
She won the US Amateur Racquetball Championship in 1977. She also won the Canadian Racquetball Championship several times. From 1980 to 1984, she won the US Professional Racquetball Championship three times.
Coaching and Masters Titles
In 1985, Heather moved back to Australia. She became an assistant squash coach at the Australian Institute of Sport in Brisbane. She helped coach future champions like Michelle Martin.
While coaching, she also won the World Masters Squash Championships four times. She won in the over-45 category in 1987 and 1990. She then won in the over-50 category in 1993 and 1995.
She stopped coaching in 1999 and ended her involvement in squash. She then moved to Canberra.
Since the late 1990s, Heather has played in senior tennis tournaments. In 2001, she won the World Senior Championships. In 2018, she moved back to Queanbeyan.
Major Championship Wins
Heather McKay won many important squash tournaments. Here are some of her biggest wins:
World Open Squash Championships
| Year | Location | Opponent in the final | Score in the final | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Brisbane, Australia |  Marion Jackman |
9–2, 9–2, 9–0 | Winner |
| 1979 | Sheffield, England |  Sue Cogswell |
6–9, 9–3, 9–1, 9–4 | Winner |
British Open Squash Championships
| Year | Location | Opponent in the final | Score in the final | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | London | Fran Marshall |
9–6, 9–5, 9–4 | Winner |
| 1963 | London | Fran Marshall |
9–4, 9–2, 9–6 | Winner |
| 1964 | London | Fran Marshall |
9–2, 9–2, 9–1 | Winner |
| 1965 | London | Anna Craven-Smith |
9–0, 9–1, 9–2 | Winner |
| 1966 | London | Anna Craven-Smith |
9–0, 9–0, 10–8 | Winner |
| 1967 | London, England | Anna Craven-Smith |
9–1, 10–8, 9–6 | Winner |
| 1968 | London, England | Bev Johnson |
9–0, 9–0, 9–0 | Winner |
| 1969 | Sheffield, England | Fran Marshall |
9–2, 9–0, 9–0 | Winner |
| 1970 | Birmingham, England |  Marcia Roche |
9–1, 9–1, 9–0 | Winner |
| 1971 | Birmingham, England | Jenny Irving |
9–0, 9–3, 9–1 | Winner |
| 1972 | Sheffield, England | Kathy Malan |
9–1, 9–1, 9–2 | Winner |
| 1973 | Sheffield, England |  C. Fleming |
9–1, 9–0, 9–1 | Winner |
| 1974 | Sheffield, England | Sue Cogswell |
9–2, 9–1, 9–2 | Winner |
| 1975 | Wembley, England | Marion Jackman |
9–3, 9–1, 9–5 | Winner |
| 1976 | Wembley, England | Sue Newmann |
9–2, 9–4, 9–2 | Winner |
| 1977 | Wembley, England | Barbara Wall |
9–3, 9–1, 9–2 | Winner |
Awards and Recognition
Heather McKay has received many awards for her amazing sports career:
- 1967 – ABC Sportsman of the Year
- 1969 – She was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her services in sports.
- 1979 – She was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her services to squash.
- 1985 – Inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
- 1997 – Inducted into the USA Racquetball Hall of Fame.
- 2000 – Received the Australian Sports Medal.
- Inducted into the Squash Australia Hall of Fame.
- 2018 – She was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). This was for her great work as a squash player and coach, and for helping young athletes.
