In any other sport, if you are the number one player in the country, you are all set for life - you have a million dollar contract, a nice house, your travel to and from tournaments taken care of, your food and training being given the first priority.
But not in squash.
Which is why when Gary Wheadon, the 35-year-old Squash player from Cape Town reached the No. 1 rankings in 2015 and took home the silver in the World Masters Squash 2016, held in Johannesburg last week, he knew he wasn’t done.
He needed to help his team win the Jarvis Cup trophy every year - which he did in 2016 - and he needed to keep training and saving money to reach his ultimate goal: Winning the World Masters in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2018.
It is easy to be sucked into playing mainstream sports when you are a kid - all your friends are playing cricket, soccer and rugby - and play for your team in college and then go pro. But it is difficult to decide on squash when your other two options are cricket and swimming, which was the case for Wheadon.
So why then did he decide to pursue the sport?
Both his parents played squash growing up and he played with them three to four times a week, his mom beating him until he coached hard and was good enough to beat her during his teens.
“When I was 16 my mother had a chat with me, she told me I couldn’t play all the sports, and having the family influence pushed me in the direction of squash,” Wheadon said and smiled.
From then, there was not a moment of doubt in Wheadon’s mind that he’d not made the right decision. He played in clubs in Durban before graduating to the open category. All along, he knew he had to still make money to travel and participate in tournaments.
He then moved to Cape Town, launching his own pro squash store, G’s Strings and Things. When he is not training, playing or stringing rackets, he is coaching kids. While some players worked part-time or went into the corporate world, Wheadon stuck to Squash.
Despite owning the store and coaching, Wheadon still has to pick and choose tournaments, and this makes it difficult to “showcase the GW brand,” he said.
So he picked and chose, participating and winning in Jarvis Cups, World Masters and the PSA World Tour. The Keish Tournament in the Persian Gulf, where he took home the cup, is one of the most memorable moments of his squash career, he recalls.
When he is on the court, Wheadon never once takes his eyes off the ball, his eyebrows scrunched in utmost concentration. This is a stark contrast to the mischievous smile that plays across his face once he wins a game or is out talking to his friends.
Adrian Hansen, the former No. 1 for South Africa and Wheadon’s mentor said his work ethic sets him apart from the many squash prodigies South Africa has produced.
“He is the most naturally gifted squash player, but he will still put in the extra hours every single day, more than anything else,” Hansen said. “You don't have to mince your words when you speak to him. You can be direct when you criticize him and he takes constructive criticisms well.”
Wheadon’s former coach and South Africa’s national squash coach Richard Castle, who has seen him grow from an upcoming squash player to one of the best in the country, said Wheadon’s technique and style of play has changed tremendously over the past decade.
He had a good technique, but his rally construction and ability to change the pace of the game was poor when he started off. But the Gary today adapts well, he can finish games and change the pace of the game - subtle tactics that went a long way in making him a great player, he said.
In the beginning, he also set high standards for himself and got extremely angry when he couldn’t deliver. This didn’t do well for his game. Now he knows how to channel his energy to correcting his mistakes, and is a “very mature player now,” Castle said.
“The top players know they have to play their backs off if they have to bear Gary. Ten years from now, he wasn't a threat,” Castle said.
His hardworking and competitive nature aside, Hansen said he is one of the most kind-hearted and generous people he has had the opportunity to know in his life. Coach Castle agreed with that and said he never talks about other people - he is a very likable person - and that translates in his professional life too, he said.
While Wheadon’s goal is to save up enough money and to be the best in Charlottesville in 2018, his former coach also has a dream for Wheadon - to win in a National Championship - that would be such a pat on the back for him, he added.
“He’s not a guy who got everything easily. He worked hard for everything and dedicated his life to Squash and he deserves to be recognized,” Richard concluded.
Independent Media