The Women Who Shape MSC

Gay Wheadon

A Lifetime of Squash and Service

Some people play a sport. Gay Wheadon helped build a club around it.

At 77, Gay has been part of Milnerton Squash Club for 13 years. As a player, a committee member, and one of the steady hands that keeps this community running. She played league squash into her seventies, long after most would have called it a day, and stayed on as a committee member giving her time to the club off the court too.

“My membership of Milnerton Squash Club has been some of the happiest times of my life. From the day I arrived I was accepted with caring and respect. Out of the various clubs where I have been a member, I found Milnerton Squash Club to be the friendliest and most accepting club.”

Squash runs in the family too — Gay is the mother of Gary Wheadon, former South Africa #1 — but her own place at MSC was never borrowed from anyone else's game. It was built one season, one committee meeting, one match at a time.

Squash can become part of your life at any age. Come find your own place on court and within the MSC community.

There's a place for every woman on our courts.

The Women Who Shape MSC

Beverly

Coach

She picked up a racquet for the first time at 30, a mum of three with zero experience. Twenty-three years later, she's still on court, and now helping other women take their first swing.

Beverly's introduction to squash came through watching her husband play for the defence force, and her daughter, Talia, being coached at just eight years old. That was enough to inspire her to start. What kept her going was her husband's encouragement, coaching, and belief that she could compete. He got her into leagues, matched her against stronger opponents, and pushed her to keep improving.

Thirteen years later, a move to Cape Town brought her to Milnerton Squash Club. She found friendly people, great courts, good coaching, and a real family feel. At MSC, she grew from ladies champion to the club's best league performer, with a highlight she still treasures: winning the league alongside Talia.

“Now, I have a club, a community, and a sport that makes me feel strong.”

Now, at 53, Beverly still plays and shares the love of this sport with beginners — coaching and reminding them it's never too late to start.

There's a place for every woman on our courts.

The Women Who Shape MSC

Belinda

Former Secretary / Schools Coach

Belinda Olsen has been part of MSC since 2011, when honorary member Paul Besener introduced her to squash — and the bug bit straight away.

She became club secretary the very next year and served in the role for many years, while also getting stuck into the social side of the game, hosting pub tournaments at MSC and competing in others as far afield as Ceres and Durbanville. She played league for a couple of years too, but her real passion became running squash at Milnerton High School as head of squash. Under her, the school produced players of a high standard and regularly competed in the WP Schools A-League. Having girls on the team was always her favourite part, and watching them beat the boys is a memory she still holds with pride.

“Being able to have girls in our team was always a favourite of mine — and to see them beat the school boys made me so proud.”

Belinda has since retired from those roles, but not from the game. She still plays socially at least twice a week.

There's a place for every woman on our courts.

The Women Who Shape MSC

Talia

League Player

Talia Khan has been playing squash for 18 years, since her dad, her very first coach, put a racquet in her hand at age 8. She was hooked from that first lesson, and once he saw her talent and hunger for the game, he sent her to coach Maryna Fourie at the Centurion Junior Squash Academy in Pretoria, where her skills and foundation were built.

From there she competed in junior tournaments from Under-11 through Under-19, winning her first at just 10 years old, and went on to play provincial squash for Northerns, making the IPTs and a top 10 ranking, before a move to Cape Town in 2015 brought a season with Western Province. She played first team squash at Milnerton High School as its only female player, then continued through her studies at Stellenbosch University.

“Squash brings people together despite being an individual sport.”

Milnerton Squash Club became her home and her community. Playing 2nd, 3rd and 5th league alongside her mum, Beverly, and a brilliant bunch of ladies, 2025's highlight was winning the 5th league together — a season that taught her what league squash is really about: community, teamwork and the fun side of the game.

Looking for a challenge or a pathway to improve? Ask us about coaching, club competition and women's league squash.

There's a place for every woman on our courts.