By TANIA PHILLIPS
WHEN you think squash in Warwick over the past decade or more it’s hard not to think of the Erskine family.
Father Nick, wife Gay and sons Neil and Nev have all been permanent fixtures around the Warwick Squash competition since they moved to the area. Even though she doesn’t live in the area – Brisbane-based Melanie is a more than handy squash player.
So when Nick decided to finally decided to hang up his squash racquet and retire from competitive squad in May at the age of 77 – it was a bit of an occasion.
Nick said the decision came on his own terms and while he was still fit and healthy – before an injury forced him to give up the sport he has played for so long.
It wasn’t his first love though, growing up in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) Nick took up cricket first but meeting the squash-mad Gay saw him fall in love with both her and a new sport.
He said he believed it was the family’s love of the sport that has kept him playing for so long.
Both had distinguished squash careers in Rhodesia – becoming the best players for their country (along with Gay’s sisters). And at one stage Gay was ranked number four in the world while her father, coming to the sport later in life, was a top veterans player in Rhodesia.
The family came out to Australia in 1978 with Nick teaching in Sydney before moving to Warwick more than a decade ago. They now run a farm at Goomburra (about 20 minutes from Warwick).
And while Nick has retired – don’t expect 71-year old Gay or Neil and Nev to be giving up the sport any time soon.
