In November 2019, we held the inaugural DAC Squash Pro Classic. It was an amazing week for all involved, arguably the highlight event on the DAC calendar. We have reached out to one of the biggest - if not the biggest - star of that week just so we can admire her even more. Winning the British Junior Open U/15 title in 2007, she would then claim her first professional title in 2010. In 2019 she won her second US National Championships and has been a member of the US national team for 11 years. She is currently ranked 13 in the world, just one spot off her career best in 2017 of 12.
MEET… OLIVIA BLATCHFORD CLYNE
The Squash Joint (TSJ): I am sure the universal lockdown has turned your world upside-down just like the rest of us. Tell us how you are tackling the days and have you taken advantage of the extra time to do anything that you always wanted to do but never previously had the time?
Olivia Blatchford Clyne (OBC): It most certainly has been a whirlwind change of events and I think like most of the world, it’s been a real shock to the system. Like mosts shock to the system, that initial zing was brutal but as the weeks go by I actually feel like there’s been a settling in for me- I’ve been able to enroll in an online course “ The Introduction to Psychology” which has been awesome, I’ve also just started a 40 Day Revolution of mind, body, and spirit with Baron Baptiste that incorporates yoga, meditation, diet and self-confrontation which is already shaping up to be extremely life changing. I’ve been able to take more long, luxurious runs in the outdoors and bury myself in art, books and becoming a chef! Although I miss squash very much, this time has offered a wonderful opportunity to nurture the other parts of me that I do water but not nearly enough!
TSJ: You jumped on the world tour at a very young age. What challenges did you come across over the years and looking back, would you have done anything differently knowing what you know today?
OBC: Many, many, many challenges! The first and foremost was inevitable; burn out. I made the decision not to go to college after juniors and instead go straight onto the pro tour which was simply not the thing to do (really still isn’t stateside!) After my first year I was struggling. I had a lot of unresolved feelings from my junior career (feeling the need to source validation from my wins and losses) as well as a loss of my love for the game. I quit. I took some time off, got a job coaching (because what else is an uneducated squash player going to do? Haha) and started plotting my journey to go to school. Somewhere in the minutiae of sharing this wonderful sport with others, I started finding myself jealous of my students. They’d come back from their tournaments telling me about near misses or gargantuan wins and I was like man, I miss that. I need that. And well, the rest is history…. :)
There’s no need to rush. This is a game forever, your relationship with the game is about the game, not about you. When you get there, man that’s the good stuff….
TSJ: Who had the biggest influence in your squash when you were a junior? Which pro player did you look up to the most?
OBC: I spent a lot of time on court with my Dad, who was an avid amateur player at the time gave (and still gives!) me a lot of his time! We had long hits at the Heights Casino on the weekends where the majority of my progress was made when I was a kid. I also had the privilege of working with a man named John Phelan, an Irish-international who originally taught my father “softball” squash back when the US was making the change over from the hardball game. John was so much an integral part of my growth as a player and to be honest he became more of an uncle than a squash coach to me as the years went on!
I was obsessed with Jonathan Power. Literally cried every time he lost, and insisted on going to every one of his matches at the Tournament of Champions…
TSJ: Time for something more lighthearted. Word association. What is the first thing that pops into your mind when I say…
- New England Patriots… Real football is with a soccer ball.
- Chocolate Ice Cream… I’ll pass.
- Country music… No thank you.
- Brad Pitt… Yes, please, as Achilles.
- 45 minute ghosting session… Bring it on.
- Tarantula… ALAAAAANNNNNN!!
- Bungy jumping… one day….
TSJ: What would you consider to be your greatest achievement in squash so far in your career?
OBC: I really treasure my national titles, especially my first one back in 2017. I won from 2-0 down in 88 minutes and it was simply a battle. Playing for my country has been something that has meant so much to me from the first time I made the Junior National Team back in 2007. I remember, as a 14year old, getting my playing kit and starting to cry because I was going to get to play with USA on my back. Playing at the Pan American Games the last 3 cycles and having earned a collective 7 medals has been incredible as well…but really I think about those times locked in the box when I’ve had my back up against it and I’ve grit my teeth and refused to back down, crawled over the finishing line… those guys are my proudest achievements…
TSJ: We have all had matches and tournaments we would rather forget. What advice would you give to up and coming players in dealing with adversity?
OBC: We are all so blessed to be a part of this game. We get to gear up and do battle gladiator style without the possibility of getting a sword through the heart- is there anything better than that? If you can remember that when you walk on that court, whether you’ve won or loss that you will live to fight another day, I think that’s a very powerful, formidable mindset that will see you winning a lot more than you’re losing.
TSJ: You are married to another professional squash player- Scotsman Alan Clyne. Did he get married in a kilt, and if so, can we have a picture? I imagine you motivate each other rather effectively but are there any friendly rivalries going on that you would like to tell us about?
OBC: Alan did indeed get married in a kilt, the Sutherland Clan hunting kilt to be exact, as the Clyne clan is under the Sutherland Clan tartan! We are extremely competitive in everything we do, from who tidied the bedroom better to a game of cards and even when we are practicing who is the better hitting partner… but when it comes to our careers we are first and foremost a team; we support each other and provide sounding boards for one another, giving each other ideas, and feedback when appropriate, sometimes a shoulder to cry on or a kick in the backside when that’s needed too…
TSJ: Complete these sentences…
- The worst airline to travel on is… RyanAir, can you say budget?
- My biggest pet peeve is… Obnoxious coughing, like, you want attention coughing.
- The one dessert I cannot resist is… Sticky Toffee Pudding.
- My favorite mens squash player to watch - other than my husband - is… Abouelghar
- The worst film I have ever paid to watch is… didn’t pay for it but Alan made me watch “Dumb and Dumber” on a date before…. Lucky I still fancied him after that.
- My favorite professional sports team is… St. Johnstone FC- my boys in Blue.
TSJ: You have played in major events all over the world. Which one (or ones) would be your favorite? Is there any match in your career (so far) that you wish could redo?
OBC: Tournament of Champions, Grand Central Station. I grew up with that tournament. It was my entire youth and getting to compete myself on that court now is literally a dream come true! There are a couple of matches that I wish I’d converted (cough!) my match with Nour el Sherbini at this year’s TOC… cough! cough!.. but really every match is a learning opportunity, and though the losses sting they provide beautiful moments for self reflection and growth that I think just wouldn’t be possible if I was winning all the time…. Not that I’d mind winning all the time.
TSJ: Tell us why you think squash continues to be denied entry into the Olympics.
OBC: How does the ABBA song go? Something like Money.. Money.. Money..
TSJ: You clearly have a very sociable personality and love playing the tour. Have you ever found it to be a lonely place since squash is an individual sport, or is it always fun?
OBC: It has its moments for sure. I’ve always felt pretty comfortable spending time with myself which I think has been a real blessing considering we do spend so much time on our own. I try my best to immerse myself in my surroundings wherever and whenever I travel so that I can say that I’ve experienced something new or different each time which I find extremely enriching and fun but it’s hard. Competing is extremely hard and sometimes when you’ve had an early loss and you’re far from home it’s easy to become negative and feel very isolated… but you’ve gotta feel everything in order to live right? Those moments when I have my family and friends with me whilst I compete I enjoy far more with the juxtaposition of competition without them….
TSJ: Have you ever had any major injuries? If so, how did you deal with them? What do you do in order to minimize the injury risk in such a high impact and dynamic sport?
OBC: Thank goodness no! I like to think its because all of my limbs are very close to the main trunk of my body (haha!) But really, I’ve been extremely lucky in that department. I adore Yoga and my strength and conditioning coach sets my programs with a lot of focus on developing core strength, single leg exercises and mobility work that keep me nimble!
TSJ: Okay, one final question. What is your favorite sit-com and which character do you identify with the most?
OBC: To be honest I’m not much of a TV person but my favorite book is "The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand. Howard Roark is the person I strive to be.
Wow. I would to extend a huge thank you to Olivia for taking the time to help us explore her career in more detail. It is certainly a tribute to her success on the tour so far and I adore the optimistic outlook that she possesses, especially the ability to find the positives in difficult times. We could all learn from that! We certainly hope that we can welcome her again and she will be aggressively defending her title in the 2020 DAC Squash Pro Classic!
