ABOUT SARAH
As a youngster, Sarah Fitz-Gerald won every junior title possible, with state and national titles and continued on by kick starting her senior career in 1987 winning the World Junior Championship and was awarded ‘Australian Junior Athlete of the Year’. She became the first player to combine that with the World Open crown when she sensationally won the title in Malaysia in 1996, not dropping a game in the whole championship and for the loss of only 29 points.
Even better was to follow though. Fitz-Gerald continued her winning form through out 1997 winning seven more titles and capturing the Gold Medal at the first World Games in Lahti, Finland. In October, in her home country of Australia, Fitz-Gerald successfully won her 2nd World Open crown in Sydney before winning her first Australian Open title in her home town of Melbourne.
Fitz-Gerald had a mixed year in 1998 and suddenly found herself in danger of losing her crown but the one title she truly desired was the World Open, and won it for a record third time.
At 2 games all and 8-2 down in the 5th, Fitz-Gerald found the strength both physically and mentally to save 8 match balls against rival Michelle Martin (Aust) to win her third World Open title in a match described as the ’best Women’s World Open final ever’.
1998 saw Australia also win the World Team event giving Fitz-Gerald her fourth World Team Championship title, before she bowed out of the game for 4 months needing surgery on her left knee to repair cartilage damage.
After a premature return to the World Tour, Fitz-Gerald returned home for further surgery and rehabilitation forcing her to miss nearly all of 1999.
2000 started with a bang with 5 successive Tour wins before another period of rehabilitation, and the remainder of the year had its ups and downs, losing in the quarters of the British Open and semis of the World Open. Two weeks later Fitz-Gerald turned the tables on the newly crowned World Open Champion in the UniversalSportsClub Classic to end the year on a high.
The one event that eluded Fitz-Gerald was the British Open. She finally captured this prestigious title at the NIA in Birmingham, England and continued her winning streak taking her second Australian Open title in August.
Her career continued on a high by winning all events in 2002 and capturing the Commonwealth Games Gold Medal, named the Australian Athlete of the Year in 2001 and 2002 as well as winning the Dawn Fraser Award in 2001. Sarah is the most successful present day WISPA player with sixty-five (65) World Tour titles.
Recently Sarah made a comeback for Australia in 2010 and played the World Team Championships in New Zealand and helped Australia regain their prestigious glory days by winning the title and taking her representation of her country to eighty.
Not content with just playing, Fitz-Gerald used her energies for the good of her fellow players and was President of the Women’s International Squash Players Association (WISPA), supported WISPA Promotional Tours, particapant in the Australia Day Program and Patron of the Victoria Squash Federation.
Due to her continued efforts within squash, Sarah has been awarded the prestigious Member of the Order of Australia (AM) and is recognised by her peers by being inducted into the Sport Australia, WISPA, World Squash Federation, Squash Australia and Victorian Squash Federation Hall of Fame.
Sarah’s success has taken her to World Masters, World Games and British Masters Titles. She has served as a Squash Australia board member and on Oceania Squash Federation major games committee. She served as Vice President of the World Squash Federation for 6 years and is currently President of Squash & Racquetball Victoria.