Over two decades from her Commonwealth Games debut, Rachael Grinham is set to make a historic sixth Commonwealth Games appearance at Birmingham 2022.
The Toowoomba-born player has become the equal-first Australian woman to achieve this feat alongside Jian Fang Lay (Table Tennis), and joins David Palmer OAM and Nicol David as the only other squash athletes globally to achieve this feat.
“When I was playing on the Gold Coast in 2018, I wasn’t looking at playing this one,” Grinham commented. “I wasn’t ruling it out, but it seemed as though I had a good chance as the years have gone by.”
Born in the squash boom, Grinham was always hanging around the local squash court with her younger sister where her parents would play.
“All the parents would go to the bar and just lock the kids on the squash court,” she laughed.
“From a very young age, I was pushing the ball around the floor with a racquet until I was old enough and big enough to hit the ball with a racquet.
“I was about three years old when I started hitting the ball,” Grinham recalled.
It didn’t take long for Grinham’s talent to shine through, winning her first Junior World Championship at the age of 16.
Just six months prior to becoming Junior World Champion, the then-teenager had started the year off ranked no.5 in the Australian Junior Rankings. She was selected as part of the Australian Institute of Sport squad, which pushed her squash to another level as she started beating some higher ranked players from New Zealand.
“Winning the Junior World Champions was something I wasn’t expecting from the beginning of the year and I guess that put in my mind that I could turn professional,” Grinham explained.
In 1994 she joined the Women's International Squash Players Association (WISPA) World Tour, where her star steadily rose as she broke into the top 20 in mid-1997.
A little over a year later, Grinham, who was 21-years-old at the time, was selected for her first Commonwealth Games Team for Kuala Lumpur 1998.
Not only was squash making its Commonwealth Games debut, but Grinham reached the women’s doubles gold medal match with former world no.12 Robyn Cooper.
“That was a long time ago,” Grinham laughed reflecting on those Games. “I was ranked a lot lower back then so we were the second women’s pairing there, we weren’t expected to have a result but we came through and won a silver medal.
“Playing at the Commonwealth Games is something people only dream of, and it’s an experience like no other. It doesn’t come along that often and you don’t get that many chances but I’ve had the opportunity now to have a sixth go.
“It really is a special experience,” she added.
Four years later at Manchester 2002, she found herself with an individual Commonwealth Games medal after capturing bronze in the women’s singles - one of seven Australian squash players to win a singles medal at this level - before partnering with her younger sister Natalie in the doubles for bronze.
From there, Grinham continued to forge a path for herself to become one of the top players in the sport, as she reached the world no. 1 ranking in August 2004 and held on to it for 16 consecutive months.
Amassing titles left, right and centre throughout the 2000s, including three World Team Championship titles, three World Doubles titles, a World Championship, plus four British Opens, Grinham was in her element.
Out of all her titles though, one of her favourite victories came at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games
“I played my sister in the final of the singles [winning silver] and then we played together in the doubles and won gold so that’s definitely one of the highlights of my career,” Grinham said.
Staying relatively injury-free throughout a career that has spanned almost 30 years, has been a key factor for the 45-year-old staying at the top of her game.
“I think I do a good job at listening to my body and making sure I take rest when I need and not overdo it,” she said. “I think that’s part of it…I am 45 now and squash is hard on the body.”
With eight Commonwealth Games medals including two golds to her name, one of Australia’s most decorated Commonwealth Games athletes isn’t done just yet.
“I would like to medal,” said Grinham when asked about her Birmingham 2022 goals.
“We’ve got some great doubles pairs but it’s sometimes hard in doubles because any team can win on the day and matches can go either way.
“We do have the potential to do well and get a couple of teams up there on the podium.”