April 13 (UPI) — An 85-year-old British woman was dubbed the world’s oldest active squash player by Guinness World Records.
Margaret Armstrong, 85, from Dalham, Suffolk, England, earned the Guinness record at the age of 84 years and 347 days after the record-keeping organization verified her age and her active status as a player.
“Someone first suggested to me about two years ago that I contact the world record people and when I checked up I found it was then an 84 year old that had the title,” Armstrong told Suffolk News, “so I hung around a bit.”
Armstrong said she started playing squash at the Northwood Squash Club in north London after becoming frustrated with having to plan tennis matches around the weather.
Her skills came to the attention of Egyptian player Abou Taleb, a three-time British Open winner, and he became her coach.
“Instead of aimlessly bashing the ball around the court, I actually learned to use the four walls,” Armstrong told the BBC. “This is why I’m still playing I think. Because you don’t have to run as much if you know what you’re doing.”
Armstrong said she still plays squash twice a week, despite nearly losing her foot in a car accident a few years ago.
“They had to re-attach my foot using a titanium plate and I have around 18 pins in my ankle and a few in my knee,” she said. “I suppose you could call me the bionic woman and it’s certainly fun at airports when I always set all the alarms going.”
