Everyone knows the story of Hashim Khan - acknowledged as the greatest player of all time. But for my money the moniker for the greatest can be bestowed equally to Heather McKay.
Australia, it cannot be doubted, has produced many world class sports stars, per capita possibly more than any other country in the world. That and the little green god aside we have to take our hats off to number 95 on our lists of the 100 greatest sports stars ever – possibly the greatest sportswoman that Australia has ever produced. Yet why, we wonder, have so few people ever heard of the incomparable Heather McKay?
It could be the fact that her sport was squash (she is not retired): for whatever reasons the sport has not joined the likes of golf and tennis in the megabucks or for that matter mega interest stakes. It could be, also (and we say this shamefully) that in an oft overlooked sport the female players are generally ignored even more than the male. Whatever the case, it remains that Heather McKay has one of the most outstanding sports records that you will ever hear about.
Domination isn’t quite the word for what she represented in the squash world. She was the ultimate squash player of the 60s and 70s and won 16 British Open titles in a row between 62 and 77. She also won the World Open title when it began in 1979. During this period she was never defeated. Not once. Never. Hats off to Heather! How many other sports stars have that sort of record? Yes, we couldn’t either.
What was more she also played racquetball and field hockey at top levels. Born in 1941 McKay was defeated only twice in her career (once in 60 and again in 62). When she retired in 1981 she had not been beaten since that day in 1962. Her first British Open came at the age of 21 and then there was almost a generation of comfortable wins. In 1968 she won the final against Bev Johnson (also an Australian) without conceding a single point.
Retiring at the age of 40 from top-level squash she has remained active in the Masters Level events, winning two over-45 and two over-50 World Championships. To cap it all she was a member of the Australian Women’s Hockey Team and won the American (Amateur) Racquetball Championship in 1979. Moreover she won the professional version of that title three times (80, 81 and 84) as well as winning the Canadian Racquetball Championship five times.
Some amazing facts about an amazing sportswoman.
Robert Evans
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Sporting legend quietly celebrates 70th
Without fuss or fanfare, arguably Australia's greatest ever sportswoman will quietly celebrate her 70th birthday on Sunday.
Squash legend Heather McKay AM MBE - who was unbeaten for an incredible 20 years during the sport's halcyon days of the 60s and 70s - has always been too modest to spruik her claims.
But fellow Australian squash great Michelle Martin on Saturday had no hesitation ranking McKay alongside swimming immortal Dawn Fraser as our all-time No.1 female athlete.
"But she never gets the recognition and that's such a shame," Martin told AAP.
"Dawn Fraser always gets the recognition, but I've never been too interested to know about Dawn Fraser because everyone puts her on a pedestal.
"I've always thought: `What about Heather?'
"I mean, let's put it in perspective ..."
Let's.
McKay's record in an unheralded sport that boasts some of the fittest and most skilful athletes of all is nothing short of astonishing.
Born in Queanbeyan, McKay, nee Blundell, won 16 consecutive British Opens - the Wimbledon of squash - from 1962 to 1977 when it was the unofficial world championships.
What's more, she won all 16 finals without dropping a game and, more often than not, barely lost a single point.
In fact, in 1968, McKay beat fellow Australian Bev Johnson 9-0 9-0 9-0 in the championship decider.
Remarkably, the undisputed queen of the court lost only two matches in her entire career and was unbeaten from 1962 to 1981 when she retired from active open squash.
In 1976, McKay won the first - but unofficial - World Women's Open and went on to win the first official World Open in 1979.
But, wait, that's not all.
McKay also represented Australia at hockey and racquetball and was a top-flight tennis player.
"It's a shame that her legend is dwindling with the decline of squash. Only our generation really knows much about her," said Martin, herself a five-times British Open champion.
Barbara Wall, who managed six points against her in McKay's last-ever British Open final, always described challenging her invincible conqueror as like playing in a vice.
In the end, McKay would suck the life out of her opponents.
McKay still lives in Queanbeyan, having spent many years coaching at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.
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