S5 pupil Georgia Adderley, a rising squash star, put in a cracking performance to win the Sterling Trucks Scottish Senior National Championships on Sunday. At the Edinburgh Sports Club she showed determination and skill to defeat 20-year-old Elspeth Young 11-4, 5-11, 11-6, 14-12 in the final to lift the trophy in front of an appreciative audience.
For a teenager to win the prestigious title is quite something - but the level-headed Georgia does not have long to celebrate because on Friday she heads off to Serbia to play football for Scotland at under-17 level in the UEFA Women's under-17 Championship Elite Round. Next week Georgia and her team mates will face Hungary, Republic of Ireland and the hosts.
After her squash win, Georgia said: “Coming into the event aged 16 as number one seed brought its own pressures, but I had played in this event last year for the first time and that helped me with nerves and what to expect out there.
“I played well in my semi-final on Saturday and that left me feeling good about the final. Elspeth is a few years older than me and more experienced, so I knew it would be hard.
“We had some really good rallies in the first game, but she then came back in the second. At that point I had to hold my nerve, but I did and got a good start to the third game.
“I then managed to go on and win and the feeling at the end was amazing.
“At the moment it has not quite sunk in, but I have had loads of texts from friends and my family are really proud.
“2017 has started really well for me. People always ask if it is hard to balance my squash and football, but I don’t really know because it is all I have really known.
“I love both sports and being around my friends and I just work hard to balance both of them with my school work.
“Scottish Squash and my coaches, the SFA and Spartans and the school all really help me out along with my family and I am just trying to do the best I can.”
In 2016, Georgia was named Scottish Squash’s Female Player of the Year and she was also given the SportsAid Scotland’s Miquel Trophy for best developing athlete in the country thanks also to her achievements on the football pitch. She has previously captained Scotland under-16 at football and won the under-17 national squash title in Aberdeen in February and performed well at the Edinburgh Open, a senior event featuring some top talent from around Europe.
She also recently signed a contract with the Spartans women’s football team ahead of the new season before her weekend squash success which had her smiling from ear to ear.
“I think it actually helps me that I do an individual sport and a team one,” Georgia said.
“If I just played squash then I might think about it too much, but I love heading along to football training, catching up with my friends and playing as a team.
“I hope that I bring a lot of skills from my squash to the football teams that I play in, skills such as a tough mental attitude, a good temperament and a good work ethic.
“I have to be disciplined to do all the things I do and I am very proud to represent Scotland.
“I think the football team can do well in Serbia next week and I am certainly heading there with a spring in my step.”
