Stourbridge sports star collects OBE (From Stourbridge News)

Stourbridge sports star collects OBE

5:30pm Tuesday 24th November 2009

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A STOURBRIDGE squash ace, honoured in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list, has picked up her OBE for services to sport.

Zena Wooldridge received the award for her role as chairman of England Squash & Racketball and director of sport at the University of Birmingham and for various roles in University Sport.

In 2006, she became the youngest woman to hold the position of chairman at England Squash & Racketball at the age of 45.

She picked up the prestigious accolade from Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace on Friday Novembver 20 - and said afterwards: “I’m really delighted, it was an absolutely marvellous day.”

The 48-year-old - who has been a member of Stourbridge Lawn Tennis and Squash Club since she was 13 - played county squash for Worcestershire for 30 years, reaching the semi-finals many times.

She also played for the England masters over 35s and over 40s teams and took part in the World Masters Championships in 1997 and 2001.

And she was GB team manager in three World University Squash Championships from 1996 to 2002.

Currently unable to play due to injury - she says she has now accepted her squash days are over.

But Zena, also a former national over 45s racketball champion, has her sights set on a racketball comeback.

She said: “I’ve known for a couple of years that I’ve been playing on borrowed time. Racketball isn’t quite as demanding on the joints so I might make a comeback in that.”

Adventurous Zena - who these days goes to the gym and swims to keep fit - has also been flying high in her spare time, acting as a crew member in hot air ballooning events.

And, as if that’s not enough, she’s also hoping to complete a cycle ride from John O’Groats to Lands End in the not too distant future.

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