Nicol David was born on 26 August, 1983 in Penang. She is a daughter to engineer Desmond David and Ann Marie David, a teacher. Her early experience with squash occurred at a tender age of five and soon, she took the game seriously with regular training and active participation in competitive games. A scout noticed her raw talent and drafted her into the state team.
Nicol chalked up her first international win at the Hong Kong Under-13 game and later started climbing her way up by conquering Asian challenges. Despite being so young, her quest for world domination began to gain attention.
For the next couple of years, Nicol won a series of Asian championships and marked her grand arrival in the world scene by becoming the world's youngest junior champion, at the age of 15 years. In the process, she beat three players who were ranked in the world's top 20. She won the junior championship twice and became one of only two players in the history of squash to have achieved the feat.
By the time she reached 16, Nicol David was already making the world's Top 10 list. She has an invincible track record in Asia after winning the Asian championship five times in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006.
More history ensued.
The number one ranking was short lived to only three months before she dropped a spot after her failure at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. But Nicol bounced back with a bang by winning a record 51 consecutive matches and was unbeaten for 13 months before she lost to Natalie Grinham in the Seoul Open final game. She gained back the world number one status and is still holding it for more than four years later.
Her success in squash did not prevent Nicol to attain outstanding academic achievements. She scored 8As in the PMR (Penilaian Menengah Rendah) and 9As in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM). Before the exams, she would be seen juggling her time preparing for the exams as well as practicing and perfecting her skills in court.
In 2008, Nicol was honoured with the Darjah Bakti (Order of Merit) award, followed by the Darjah Setia Pangkuan Negeri, carrying the title Datuk, in recognition of her immense contribution to the nation.
As a professional squash player, Nicol David is a definite role model for Malaysians and other youngsters around the globe. Her desire to succeed has taken her to a territory where many other Malaysians consider as an impossibility. She is also a living legend who proves you can be exceptional in both sports and academic. Malaysia Boleh!
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