Local 88-year-old Margaret Fisher has returned from the 2018 Super-Seniors World Team Championships in Croatia with a gold medal in the women’s singles consolation competition and a bronze in the women’s doubles.
Margaret lives in Byron Bay; she began her tennis career in Albury and played at Wimbledon in 1953 before putting the sport on hold to work and raise a family.
Having picked up her racquet again in her latter years, she now trains or plays five days a week and says she feels fitter and stronger at almost 90 than she did in her 50s and 60s.
Ranked number one in Australia for the 85-plus age group, the great-grandmother won silver in singles at the 2016 world championships before claiming gold in women’s doubles and mixed doubles at 2017 event in Florida.
Although she picked up another gold this year, it is the 85-plus women’s singles world championship that eludes her – but she plans to compete again next year.
‘I’d love to be crowned the world champion so I’m not giving up on that dream,’ she said.
‘Returning to the court is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
‘It’s not only kept me active but given me a sense of confidence that has opened up a whole new world of interests’.