Squash golden girl Joelle King ‘my body was not able but my mind was’

Squash star Joelle King helped carry the New Zealand flag in the opening ceremony and she’s helped win the country’s final medal, a gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

King and Amanda Landers-Murphy defended their women’s doubles squash title after beating English pair Sarah-Jane Perry and Alison Waters – 11-8, 11-8.

It gave New Zealand a record 20th gold medal of the 2022 Games and 49 medals overall.

New Zealand’s Joelle King and Amanda Landers-Murphy (R) play against England’s Sarah-Jane Perry (C) and England’s Alison Waters in the women’s doubles gold medal squash.
Photo: AFP

It’s King’s second gold medal after she also won the mixed squash doubles final with partner Paul Coll.

King, who competed in three events at the Games, said winning gold on the final day was sweet after an exhausting couple of weeks.

King was devastated to miss out on a medal in the women’s singles last week.

“But it’s how you come back from defeat …24 hours I had to wallow in self-pity and these guys were the ones who were getting me back on track and my family have been unbelievable through this,” King said.

“They always say it’s a village behind a person and that is very very true with this story of mine this week so we’re going to have fun tonight.”

King is one of New Zealand’s most decorated Commonwealth Games athletes, having now won eight medals.

This was King’s fourth Commonwealth Games and said every medal over her career had a story behind it but the two Golds she achieved in Birmingham “have quite a story”.

“I’ve been through a lot in the last week to be here, people have no idea and it’s my partners and all the rest of the squash team that have got me through.”

King said she owed a lot to Landers-Murphy.

“She’s so humble, she just sort of stands in the back and doesn’t like any of the limelight.

“This is my job, she has another job, she has study and she sacrificed so much to be here so my biggest thank you has to go to her.”

King said competing in three different events had taken a toll on her body.

“It’s been a very very tough week, like I said there’s been a lot going on behind the scenes that people have no idea about.

“But when you’re strong in the mind anything is possible and that’s what I had to do this week because my body was not able but my mind was and the fighting spirit is what really got me through.”

King wouldn’t say if she had been carrying a particular injury or had just experienced sheer exhaustion.

“That’s a hard one to answer but I guess a combination of both we’ll say. But the team back at the village is unbelievable …all working on me three times a day, ice baths twice a day, doctors, everyone was in on the action.

“So I don’t know whether I’m more exhausted from all the treatment I’ve been getting or the actual squash.”

Landers-Murphy also went on food runs for King.

“I was getting back sometimes at midnight and having to ice bath and Amanda was running and getting me food.

“People have absolutely no idea sitting at home on the couch what we put ourselves through to get out there on court.”

“And I think it’s just no excuses, just use what you’ve got and find a way to win and that’s what we did with both of my partnerships this week.

“When you’re on the brink, when you’re on the back foot that makes it even more satisfying …we found a way.”

Landers-Murphy, who was convinced by King to return to squash for another Commonwealth Games campaign after a year off, said she doubted she would get back to this level again.

“Especially when I stepped back on court the first time, it was a bit of a shock to the system so to get back out there and play to that level was great,” Landers-Murphy said.

“I think it’s almost more satisfying than the first time around, there’s so much more going on in my life now and it was a really hard road to get here but I had Joelle there the whole time so it was all worth it.”