Steffi finding form in US
Horsham’s Steffi Mcdonald is hoping to overcome health issues to quickly get back to doing what she loves after a successful return to the tennis court in the United States.
Mcdonald and her younger sister Jess flew back to Australia from college in Mississippi in March 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold.
Although Jess chose to remain in Australia to pursue her studies, Steffi returned to the United States in January this year after transferring to Southeastern Oklahoma State University.
Mcdonald enjoyed a strong return to the court for the Southeastern women’s tennis team, however had to pull out of the past few tournaments due to ill health.
“I’ve been in and out of hospital, so my trainer won’t clear me to train or play at the moment until we see some progress with my health,” she said.
“I’m hoping to get in a few more tournaments and then hopefully make it home for Christmas if the borders open up.”
Mcdonald said doctors suspected ulcerative colitis, but she was waiting to see a specialist.
She said life amid the COVID-19 pandemic was quite different in the
United States, compared with conditions at home in Australia.
“Everything’s back to normal here and opened up, which is great – it really doesn’t feel like COVID exists,” she said.
“We have a few people from the team each week that get picked at random to get COVID tested, just to stay safe, but other than that everything is completely back to normal on campus and around the country.”
The college tennis circuit requires teams to compete in different states.
Southeastern opened the fall portion of the season on September 14, against Tyler, Texas.
“We’ve only just got back in the swing of things as far as tennis goes,” Mcdonald said.
“I have played two tournaments so far and the first one was pretty tough. It was my first match back in one-and-a-half years, which is always pretty tough, mentally.
“I lost to the girl who took out the tournament – she had a 10-0 record last year – and it was a good match.
“I lost in the semis of doubles also at this tournament. We lost in a close match that we probably should have won.”
Mcdonald went on to contest the OKC Intercollegiate tournament in Oklahoma City, where she ended up pulling out of the singles competition.
“I fell ill and it was just in my best interest to pull out,” she said.
“I stayed in the doubles and actually won the tournament.
“Surprisingly, I’ve actually been playing very well in doubles – it’s something I’ve never enjoyed or been confident in, but I seem to have really turned it around this semester, which is great.”
Mcdonald said prior to getting sick, she was excited about her prospects for the season.
“I’m pretty happy with my progress and form at the moment,” she said.
“We have been training hard and each tournament I’m gaining more confidence and making progress in getting back into matches.
“This semester is really only about match play and getting matches in, so I’m just trying to get as many matches in as I can before the season to get back in form.”