WJC Profile | Hannah Slyth

West Australian 17-year-old Hannah Slyth will line up for her third appearance at the World Junior Championships this month. 

Hailing from Perth’s Blue Gum Squash Club, Hannah’s first interest in a racquet was with rival code tennis, sharing that her mum introduced her to the sport at age nine.

“Squash has been a part of my family for generations, my grandparents passed down their love for the sport to my mum,” said Hannah. 

“Despite my dad’s enthusiasm for me to play tennis which I started playing at three years old, it wasn’t until after returning from living in China in 2016 that my mum convinced me to give squash a try. 

“From that point on, I was completely hooked. It's hard not to be once you experience how enjoyable the sport can be!”

Hannah is completing her final year of high school undertaking PE studies where she participates in a number of sports. 

“Currently, I'm involved in training for volleyball and netball due to my PE Studies subject selection at school, where practical exams contribute to the final ATAR mark alongside written exams,” said Hannah. 

“Additionally, I occasionally participate in school sports like cross country and athletics.

“My main priority is to graduate and finish Year 12. After school, I plan to shift my focus towards my Squash career in December, including making the most of my final year in juniors by competing in interstate and international tournaments as well as joining the PSA to increase my world ranking.”

With her third WJC only weeks away now, Hannah will use her experience over the past two years to help her better her performance. 

“I was pleased with my performances at the AJO and AJC last year. I made it to the final at AJO, and finished third at the AJC, both in the Under 19 category,” she said. 

“Having already competed in the World Juniors twice before, my goal this year is to perform better and have an end result in the tournament higher than in previous years.

“Representing Australia in the green and gold is always an honour for me.”.