Heather Wallace

Ottawa & District Squash Association > About > Profiles > Heather Wallace

Biography

Born in Zambia in 1961 and educated in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Scotland, and England. She was a gifted athlete,

Photo courtesy of Ontario Squash Hall of Fame

Photo courtesy of Ontario Squash Hall of Fame

representing Zimbabwe as a junior at field hockey and swimming. She started squash at 16, winning Zimbabwean and South African junior titles. She moved to the UK in 1979. She was coached by Bryan Patterson (of OAC fame 1978-79), in Portsmouth, from 1984 until she emigrated to Canada in 1986. From 1987 to 1995, she was a touring pro for the Queensview Athletic Club (now Goodlife Queensview), then became the club’s teaching pro, a function she has performed for over 20 years to date. Her many achievements include the following

Accomplishments

  • Played No. 1 for Scotland between 1980 and 1986, represented her country at World Women’s Team Championships in 1981, 1983, and 1985, and lead it to a 3rd place finish in the 1985 European Women’s Team Championship. She captured 29 Scottish caps before emigrating.
  • She reached the quarterfinals of the World Women’s Championship in 1983, 1985, and 1992, and of the British Women’s Open in 1985 and 1993, and was a finalist in the British Women’s Nationals in 1986. Won Scottish GU 21 title in 1979/80
  • Per Heather, her highest world ranking was No. 3 in 1984, she did not compete internationally from 1989 to 1991( to focus on getting Canadian citizenship), but surged back to No. 6 in 1992 and 1993.
  • Winner of 11 consecutive Canadian National Women’s titles (1987-97), she also won the 1987 Judy Traviss Trophy (N.A. Women’s Open Singles), and was unbeaten by any Canadian woman during this time.
  • Played on Canadian teams at World Women’s Team Championships in 1990-1992-1994-1996-1998, leading the team to a 6th place finish in 1992.
  • In 1995 she was on Canada’s Gold medal winning team at the Pan American Games in Argentina, when squash was inaugurated as a PanAm sport, and she went on to win the Women’s Individual Gold medal there.
  • She was a co-winner, with Jamie Crombie of Calgary, of a Bronze medal at the World International Mixed Doubles event in 1997, in Hong Kong.
  • She is a NCCP level 4 coach and coached Canadian teams at World Women’s Team (1994-96 and 2004) and World Junior Team (1991-93-99) Championships, Commonwealth Games (1998) and PanAm Championships (2004).
  • She has developed many young Ottawa players to national and international levels, including Robin Clarke, Samantha Cornett, Alina and Stephano D’Asti, Andrew Kruger, Runa Reta, Carole Anne Rodgers, and Ben and Joanna Thomas.
  • She has organised 3 WISPA and 13 PSA events at Goodlife-Queensview over the years, in addition to many national, provincial, city and club tournaments.
  • Having won over 40 titles in different parts of the world, including 10 WISPA events between 1991 and 1993, she has deservedly been recognised, with inductions into the City of Ottawa’s Sports Hall of Fame (2003),Squash Canada’s Wall of Fame (2005), and the Ontario Squash Hall of Fame (2007). Another recognition, very special to her, was being voted one of the City of Ottawa’s top 100 athletes for the 20th century.