Bright future for squash champion Ellie Epke

Epsom Girls’ Grammar School 17-year old squash champion Ellie Epke has already achieved a huge amount in her sport in just a few years.

Since immigrating to New Zealand from England with her family five years ago, Ellie’s squash has already taken her far and wide across the world.

Just a fortnight ago, she was representing New Zealand in the Netherlands at the biennial World World Junior Girls' Team Championships event. “There were 18 countries competing and Egypt came first and the USA runner-up,” said Ellie. “We came sixth, which was a good result as we finished eighth last time in Poland and we were seeded sixth.”

Last weekend she represented her school at the New Zealand Schools Squash Championships, where her school finished ninth behind local girls’ winners Palmerston North Girls’ High School. Westlake Boys’ High School won the boys’ section.

Ellie has also competed individually and in teams in tournaments in Malaysia, Australia and England where she was a junior champion. Next up is the Youth Commonwealth Games in Samoa in September. “I’m competing as an individual and also doing doubles with another girl, Abbie Palmer [from Bream Bay College in Northland], and mixed doubles with Luke Jones [from Palmerston North Boys’ High School]. I think I have a good chance of doing well and I’m hoping to win medals in all three categories.”

A goal of hers is to represent New Zealand at the next Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast in 2018.  “Next year I’m also hoping to get a squash scholarship to an American university. So I’ll study there and train and after that want to join the world circuit.”

If she achieves that goal, she will join illustrious company, with some noted New Zealand women’s players having gone before her including Dame Susan Devoy who won the coveted British Open eight times in her world-dominating career, Leilani Joyce who won 16 career international women’s squash titles and two-time World Squash Open champion Carol Owens.

Ellie takes inspiration from these former players. “Carol Owens used to be my coach and I’ve met Susan Devoy several times as she has come to quite a few of our tournaments.” Her current coach is Mike Weston, who coaches her locally.

In April this year, Ellie won the New Zealand Junior Open in Timaru, which she rates as a career highlight.

“I think I came second about three or four times in a row, and then I finally won it, so I really happy about that.”

She won it in a thriller, beating young Australian player Lakeesha Rarere in five sets, 11-9, 6-11, 5-11, 12-10, 11-8.

“Lakeesha came over to play in this tournament and then the Oceania Championships in Invercargill after that, but I lost to her in the final of that one. We also had a team event so I played her three times and I beat her the first two times and lost to her the last time.”

Squash is a physically demanding sport, with a high level of physical fitness required. “Normally I play tournaments in the weekend, which take up about three days of my week. Then I normally train with Mike about three times a week and have a practice game with someone else during the week as well. Squash New Zealand also gives me fitness sessions to do.”

Born and raised in Bristol in southwest England, Ellie started playing squash when she was young. “My dad played squash and then my sister played as well, so I used to go along to all the tournaments and got bored watching all the time so I started playing too.”

How does Ellie juggle her flourishing squash career with school? “It’s quite hard sometimes to do both and I get tired, but I just get through it.”

The future’s bright for Ellie Epke.