WJC Profile: Courtney Scholtz - driven to succeed

Victorian teenager Courtney Scholtz faces two milestone tests this month: representing Australia at the WSF World Junior Championships, then a few days later sitting for her drivers licence.

Both goals have become intertwined, because Courtney has been getting her driving lessons on the long commute to-and-from Melbourne as she prepares for the World Championships.

Courtney, who will turn 18 during the tournament, lives in Yarra Glen, and so can often spend more than two-and-a-half hours a day in the car.

“It’s helped with my driving hours, that’s one benefit,” Courtney says of her travel. “You’ve got to look on the bright side.”

Despite the challenges of studying Year 12 and the long commute, Courtney says squash provides balance to her busy days.

“I’ve taken breaks from squash before, but I almost feel more balanced when I am playing squash because it gets me into a routine.”

That routine can include training before and after school, splitting time between Melbourne and the Lilydale Squash Club which is closer to home. She’s coached by Raj Nanda in Melbourne and supported by the Victorian Institute of Sport, which makes this year’s World Championships extra special.

“I feel like it’s a rare experience to have such a big tournament at the home courts where you train, it’s a big advantage having friends and family there,” Courtney says.

Courtney was born in Cape Town, South Africa, but was introduced to squash by her parents, Carl and Jenny, when they moved to Australia.

“I started when I was 5 when we moved here from South Africa and my parents joined the local club,” Courtney explains. “They used to play when they were in University.

“I started playing Saturday morning juniors and one of the coaches took me one-on-one and introduced me to tournaments when I was eight.

“The first couple of years were rough, I was young and didn’t win anything. It took a couple of years, but then you couldn’t get me off the court.”

At 11, Courtney won the Australian Junior Open. Later she was runner-up in Under 17s.

She has twice represented Australia on Trans-Tasman teams against New Zealand, but this will be her first World Junior Championships.

In her final year of juniors, Courtney says she’s planning on going to university and continuing to play squash, much like her parents did.

“My parents are my biggest supporters, giving up all that time for me. I feel like they get excited when I have tournaments.

“Ideally, I want to study criminology next year, I want to be a police officer or maybe even a detective. I’ve wanted to do that since I was 10 years old.

“The University [I’m looking at] has a squash team, so I want to join that so I can still play a few times a week while I’m studying. Ideally, I’d like to keep playing PSA.”

2023 WSF World Junior Championships
18-29 July | Melbourne Sports Centres VIC
Australian Squad
Men: Harvey Allan (VIC), Dylan Classen (WA), Oscar Curtis (WA), Connor Hayes (VIC), Ken Lamb (NSW), Thomas Scott (NSW)
Women: Erin Classen* (WA), Shona Coxedge (QLD), Amelie Guziak* (VIC), Madison Lyon* (QLD), Courtney Scholtz (VIC), Hannah Slyth* (WA)
* denotes competing in women’s team event
Coaches: Cassie Thomas, Stewart Boswell, Jenny Duncalf