Women’s Squash Week: Jess Turnbull cherishes female role models within the Australian squash community

One silver lining from the COVID-19 pandemic is that most of the Australian squash female athletes - with a few notable exceptions, including Donna Lobban - have been able to train together in Australia.

Jess Turnbull is one of the players who found the opportunity to nurture a squad environment particularly rewarding, as she vyes for selection to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Australian squad.

“It has been great to have a range of experience and styles of play that we can all learn off and in turn help each other to grow.

“We have such a strong pool of players in the women's side of squash here in Australia and I hope that the squash community is able to appreciate our talent and our hard work,” she said.

The 26-year-old has been playing for almost two decades, having started at the age of seven. During the years she was able to look up to other Australian women who were inspirational to her both on a personal and professional level, getting to know them and building relationships within the community. 

“I think every Australian woman has an Aussie idol,” Turnbull said.

“Mine has always been Rachael Grinham, which is funny because we are friends now and it’s always a bit weird to admit you idolise a friend!

“While her style of play isn’t something I relate to, it is so unique, interesting and fun to watch - and a bit of a pain to play, if I’m honest. I also admire the way she holds herself both on and off the court. 

“I also loved Laura Massaro’s style of play, which is more similar to mine. I really liked seeing someone really attacking players with simple, solid squash. It really gave me a boost of confidence as I am not a super-aggressive hitter,” she said.

Turnbull also mentioned Egyptian Nour el Tayeb as someone whose fluid, almost effortless game was inspiring for her development, ever since she first watched her play at World Juniors in 2011.

“My favourite part of squash is the community itself. I have so many relationships that I truly cherish.

“All of these women are such impressive athletes and have made a big impact on my squash,” she said.

Having role models and mentors within the pathway is crucial for the development of young athletes. Just as Jess Turnbull was able to use other female players as a source of inspiration during her journey, the young generation of female players are doing the same with the current elite athletes in the Australian team. Reigning under-19 Australian Junior Champion Maddie Lyon recently indicated Turnbull as one of her idols, which is something that Turnbull was flattered about. 

“It’s great to see that I am having a positive influence on the next generation of squash players,” Turnbull said. 

“My advice for them is to work hard, listen to as many people as you can and don’t be afraid to ask for help.

“Most importantly, know your worth,” she said.

Turnbull added that spending time with other Aussie players and feeling supported by the squash community has been particularly important for our athletes, as they were left unable to travel and compete overseas due to the pandemic. Dealing with frequent state lockdowns and domestic event cancellations was also something that took a toll on their mental health as well as their training.

Turnbull said she’s been working through the situation as best as she can, finding other ways to be competitive.

“I live in QLD and I'm lucky to be involved in such a strong weekly squash league that I can use to measure my performance. Having the 2022 Commonwealth Games selection looming does make it easier to stay motivated to show up everyday and put in the work.

"I am just taking each day as it comes and trying to make myself the best possible player I can be, to give myself every chance of getting selected. A [selection for the] Commonwealth Games would be a dream come true,” she said.

As the squash community celebrates Women’s Squash Week, Turnbull took the opportunity to highlight how being a professional athlete takes a lot of dedication and is taxing both physically and mentally, an aspect which is sometimes overlooked especially for female athletes.

“One of the hardest parts of being an athlete is feeling like people don't take you seriously or that people don't see this as 'work'. I feel like this is especially true for women, so please support your athletes,” she said.