Defeats and hard times really unleash yourself - Nicol

KUALA LUMPUR: It’s usual for everyone to face hard times and failures, but those low times could make one stronger and lead one to greater success, says Malaysian squash great, Datuk Nicol David.

The 37-year-old, crowned the World Games Greatest Athlete of All Time last Monday, said despite having a lot of highs in her career to become the most decorated squash star, it was the lows she faced that really carved her to be better.

Nicol, who won 81 Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Tour titles in her professional career of close to 20 years, said the defeats she faced played a crucial role in her growth to emerge as an icon in the sport.

“Whether I lost, being the world number one and not knowing how to cope with the pressure or what to do being the world number one, those feelings helped me to identify what truly was important for me, to work harder and continue to find ways to keep improving myself.

“When I was at the top, I learned to take competitions as something that was good for me. So, I used that to further see how far my potential could go, not just for one year but how long I could last with what I got.

“That was the whole experience I got in squash and I am so grateful for the time I had and all the things I had learned in my career.

“One has to believe in oneself and not see failures as something bad and give up, but needs to come back stronger from it and work harder to realise one’s true potential,” Nicol said during Bernama Radio’s talk show yesterday.

The Penangite has no regrets in the sport, having achieved everything possible including eight World Championship titles, an unprecedented record 109month (nine years) reign as the world’s number one and being the most successful Asian Games athlete with seven gold medals in total.

On her future, Nicol hopes to see and hear success stories from the Nicol David Foundation in the next five years, and to continue to work on youth and women empowerment.

“I hope the foundation will have success stories. When kids have learned something new, in squash or any other sports, it has changed their lives someway. That will be one of my best moments to know that the foundation I put together has impacted these children,” she said.

The Colombia-based Nicol, who will be back in Malaysia next month after being away for over a year, said the first thing on her mind is to meet her family and have a feast of local delicacies. Bernama