The star of Strictly Come Dancing and mum of Wimbledon aces Andy and Jamie Murray gave a taster session for her ‘She Rallies’ workshop at Monmouth Leisure Centre on Monday, 9th October.
In town to promote her new book ‘Knowing the Score’ at Rossiter Books, she found time in her busy schedule to give an ad hoc coaching lesson to budding tennis stars.
The aim of her workshops are to help attract and retain more women and girls tennis players in the UK by inspiring and empowering a female workforce and to create more opportunities for women and girls in tennis.
Murray, a tennis coach herself, won 64 titles in Scotland during her junior and senior career, and was the initial coach for both her sons before handing over the reins as their professional careers bloomed.
The session lasted an hour and gave the young and not-so-young the chance to learn some of the coaching tips she has passed on to her sons.
The Welsh ambassador for the “She Rallies’ campaign, Cerys Howard-Rees will now take over and help to train teachers and tennis club members to encourage and teach young girls between the ages of five to eight-year-olds and introduce them to the world of tennis through the ‘Little Miss Hits’ workshop initiative. Equipment will be provided by the Lawn Tennis Association.
In the evening she gave a more sedate performance at the Savoy Theatre as part of a book-signing appearance hosted by Rossiter Books in Church Street where she was questioned by freelance sports reporter Graham Thomas.
The 300 plus crowd warmed to her as she recalled tales of being a mum to two tennis champions, one slightly more famous than the other, and the trials of supporting the two whilst they were at two different levels of success.