Vanessa Atkinson - Grassroots to Greatness

This episode of BTL features squash legend Vanessa Atkinson, one of the most accomplished players in the sport’s history. A Dutch icon, Vanessa reached the pinnacle of her career as the 2004 World Champion in Kuala Lumpur and later achieved the World No. 1 ranking in 2005. Over the course of her career, she amassed 25 professional titles, making her the most successful Dutch squash player of all time.Since retiring in 2011, Vanessa has remained deeply involved in the game — offering her expertise as a Squash TV commentator and MC, and helping develop future talent through her coaching at Pontefract. Her journey spans the intensity of elite competition and the fulfilment of mentoring the next generation. This episode explores Vanessa’s remarkable story, both on and off the court. Her training over the years and how she learned to control her emotions and now hopes to pass that onto the future generation of players.If you'd like to join our community then please email Ahad - [email protected] and as always enjoy the episode and please leave us a comment with feedback or thoughts.