A Conversation with Ellen from Odense
May 27 2005, by Ron Beck
Squashtalk Independent News; © 2005 SquashTalk LLC

Ellen Petersen, the Danish #1 woman player, has accepted the formidable challenge of excelling in Squash and medicine concurrently. While she spent the last 12 months in her medical internship, she has kept up her squash training, though lacking the opportunities to appear on the WISPA tour. Last week, when a break in her duties gave her the chance to play on the WISPA Caracassone, France tourstop, she showed she was still hungry to win and her body and mind were equally ready for top-level competition. Petersen is also scheduled to appear in the World Games, taking place in Duisberg, Germany in mid July.

SquashTalk caught up with Petersen on hospital duty in Denmark:

SquashTalk: Hi Ellen. We last saw you on tour regularly a little over two years ago. What have you been doing in the meantime?

Ellen Petersen speaks with SquashTalk following her win at the Open de la Cite in Carcassone. Photo © Fritz Borchert 2005

Ellen Petersen: I graduated as a doctor last year in January 2004 and beginning in March of 2004 I have been doing my internship. In Denmark this means six months of surgery, six months of internal medicine and six months working in a general practise. I was lucky to get a hospital only 50 km from Odense (where my squash base is) so it is not too bad. it is full time or rather a little more than full time but so is life as a doctor.

At the beginning of September 2005 I will finish my internship and hopefully start along the road of specialising as an orthopaedic surgeon leading to a specialty in sport injuries in 5 or 6 years time.

The last year of studies were quite hard with a lot of exams and as I would like to do well in the exams and to be a good doctor in the future I worked hard and there was not much time remaining for tournaments which also require a lot of time.

ST: What have you been doing which has kept you "tournament sharp"

Petersen: All the time I have been training 4-6 times a week so it is not as if I just do nothing. When I come back from work at about 17.30 I pack my bag and go to squash to train 1-1 1/2 hour. My boyfriend is Italian and he is only here in Denmark 7-10 days a month so the rest of the time I am by myself. Instead of sitting at home I prefer to go and train, and then go back and study a little in the evenings.

Also I focus more on the quality now since I now that my time is so limited.

ST: Even though none of the very top players was in this tournament, you beat some players here who have been doing quite well over the past year, in particular Botwright and El Weileily. What were you able to call on, strategically and tactically that allowed you to beat them?

Ellen Petersen: "... Basically I just wanted to win more ... " Photo © Fritz Borchert 2005

Petersen: Well, basically I think that I just wanted to win more than they did. I have never been and will never be a player with great technical skills. I am strong , patient and wants to win so if I have to stay on the court for more than one hour in match duration it does not distress me. Also the fact that squash is no longer my life probably makes me less nervous. I feel no pressure, so I think that this is an advantage compared to the others.

In the final match last week I was sent the wrong way so many times but i just tried to get the ball back up and in the end my opponent, El Weileily, got frustrated and I won.

ST: Did this win make you think about entering a few more WISPA events on a
selective basis?

Petersen: I love to play the tournaments- even more now when I play so few but I have chosen a career where a lot of tournaments will never be possible again- only maybe one day in the future ... as the WISPA doctor.

Now I play the game because I love it and I will play as many events as I can manage - probably 3-4 a year as long as I can but my main goal is to become a good doctor.

ST: A lot of the women who have done extremely well over the past few years spent considerable time training with Liz Irving. I know you did that. What did you get out of your time spent training with her?

Petersen: Liz was very clever on court and has a lot of technical and tactical sense. I think that mainly I learned to watch the others and learn from them and to think on court and use it in a constructive way.

ST: What are your thoughts about keeping yourself in competitive condition and
maintaining a profession?

Petersen: Pursuing two careers always has a price and sometimes you find yourself trying to sit on two chairs but you keep falling down in the middle. your are not super successful in either of them. It has advantages also. If you are not doing it with the view of being a super professional I believe that it is healthy to have both pursuits. it is demanding and takes a lot of time leaving not so much time for other things. But you get to have other values in life than just your sport or just your job and if you can accept the circumstanses i think that it can be a great and quite successful combination.

You get to use both body and brain. I am very happy and settled with my situation now. The training is appreciated so I focus more and the losses can more easily be accepted - probably also because I am much more financialy settled. Now squash is for fun - but still for serious fun :-)

[See also: 2002 Profile and 2000 profile of Ellen Petersen]

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