View source for Michelle Martin

{{Short description|Australian squash player}}
{{About||the journalist and radio host|Michel Martin|the former wife of Marc Dutroux|Marc Dutroux}}
{{Use Australian English|date=February 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox squash player
| name                    = Michelle Martin
| image                   = Michelle Martin.jpg
| caption                 = Martin (left) during the World Masters 2012
| fullname                = Michelle Susan Martin
| nickname                = 
| country                 = Australia
| residence               = Sydney
| birth_date              = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1967|4|29}}
| birth_place             = Sydney
| death_date              = 
| death_place             = 
| height                  = {{height|m=1.75}}<ref name="smh1998" />
| weight                  = 
| turnedpro               = 
| retired                 = 1999
| plays                   = Right-handed
| coach                   = 
| racquet                 = 
| website                 = 
| event                   = Women's singles
| years_active            = 
| highest_ranking         = No. 1
| date_of_highest_ranking = March 1993
| played                  = 
| titles                  = 
| finals                  = 
| WorldOpenresult         = W (1993, 1994, 1995)
| medaltemplates          = 
{{MedalSport | Women's [[squash (sport)|squash]] }}
{{MedalCountry | {{AUS}} }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[World Squash Championships|World Championships]] }}
{{MedalGold | [[1993 Women's World Open Squash Championship|1993 Johannesburg]] | Singles }}
{{MedalGold | [[1994 Women's World Open Squash Championship|1994 Saint Peter Port]] | Singles }}
{{MedalGold | [[1995 Women's World Open Squash Championship|1995 Hong Kong]] | Singles }}
{{MedalSilver | [[1992 Women's World Open Squash Championship|1992 Vancouver]] | Singles }}
{{MedalSilver | [[1997 Women's World Open Squash Championship|1997 Sydney]] | Singles }}
{{MedalSilver | [[1998 Women's World Open Squash Championship|1998 Stuttgart]] | Singles }}
{{MedalSilver | [[1999 Women's World Open Squash Championship|1999 Seattle]] | Singles }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[World Team Squash Championships|World Team Championships]] }}
{{MedalGold | [[1994 Women's World Team Squash Championships|1994 Saint Peter Port]] | Team }}
{{MedalGold | [[1998 Women's World Team Squash Championships|1998 Stuttgart]] | Team }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Squash at the Commonwealth Games|Commonwealth Games]] }}
{{MedalGold | [[1998 Commonwealth Games|1998 Kuala Lumpur]] | [[Squash at the 1998 Commonwealth Games|Singles]] }}
{{MedalGold | [[1998 Commonwealth Games|1998 Kuala Lumpur]] | [[Squash at the 1998 Commonwealth Games|Mixed doubles]] }}
| updated                 = 6 March 2010
}}

'''Michelle Susan Martin''' {{post-nominals|country=AUS|OAM}}<ref name="oam">{{cite web |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1148151|title=Mrs Michelle Susan, OAM |publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet|access-date=30 August 2022}}</ref> (born 29 April 1967) is an Australian former professional [[Squash (sport)|squash]] player who was one of the game's leading players in the 1990s. She was ranked number one in the world from 1993 to 1996 and again in 1998 and 1999, and won three [[World Open (squash)|World Open]] titles and six [[British Open Squash Championships|British Open]] titles.

==Early life==
Martin was born on 29 April 1967 in Sydney, as the fourth of six children.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.squash.org.au/w/hall-of-fame-members|title=Hall of fame members|publisher=[[Squash Australia]] |access-date=30 August 2022}}</ref><ref name="smh1994">{{cite news |title=There's no time for losing in Martin's place |first=Peter |last=FitzSimons |authorlink=Peter FitzSimons |date=14 November 1994 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |page=43 |url=http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?docID=news941114_0090_9785 |access-date=4 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161128161506/http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?docID=news941114_0090_9785|archive-date=28 November 2016}}</ref> Her older brothers [[Brett Martin (squash player)|Brett]] and [[Rodney Martin (squash player)|Rodney]] also went on to be top professional players.<ref name="sahof">{{cite web |url=https://sahof.org.au/hall-of-fame-member/michelle-martin/|title=Michelle Martin |publisher=Sport Australia Hall of Fame |access-date=25 September 2020}}</ref> Her parents, who had built the [[Engadine, New South Wales|Engadine]] Squash Centre below their family home, introduced her to the game when she was three years old.<ref name="smh1994" /><ref name="sportsillustrated">{{cite magazine |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1996/12/09/aussie-rules-for-three-years-sydneys-michelle-martin-has-been-the-queen-of-the-court|title=Aussie Rules: For three years Sydney's Michelle Martin has been the queen of the court |last=Berry |first=Eliot |date=9 December 1996 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |access-date=30 August 2022}}</ref> She would often play squash with her family after school, and at the age of eight, she came second in the state under-13s championship.<ref name="smh1994" /> She moved with her family to Brisbane in 1980, and attended [[Everton Park State High School]].<ref name="smh1994" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://evertonparkshs.eq.edu.au/wcmss/index.php/School-History.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520145830/http://evertonparkshs.eq.edu.au/wcmss/index.php/School-History.html |archivedate=20 May 2009 |title=School History |publisher=Everton Park State High School |access-date=4 November 2013}}</ref>

==Career==
She joined the [[Australian Institute of Sport]]'s squash unit shortly after its establishment in 1985, and was part of the program for the rest of the 1980s; her coaches there included squash champions [[Geoff Hunt]] and [[Heather McKay]].<ref name="smh1994" /><ref name="sahof" /> After working in a bank, she began her professional squash career in 1987, competing in her first of six [[World Team Squash Championships]] in that year; she went on to participate in all of them during her career except the 1989 championship.<ref name="sahof" /><ref name="manawatu">{{cite news |title=Life low-key for squash No.1 |work=[[Manawatu Standard]] |date=11 March 1999 |page=20 |first=Peter |last=Lampp}}</ref>

In early 1990, Martin was considering giving up the sport due to lack of progress (her world ranking had been steady at No. 6 for some years), until her uncle [[Lionel Robberds]] began coaching her, providing her with a rigorous training program of running, gym work and physical drills. Her confidence in her game and world ranking began to increase. In late 1990, she met Phil Harte, who was to be her manager from then until 1992. Harte suggested that, rather than wearing the traditional shirt and skirt during squash games, she should wear a two-piece [[lycra]] suit because it was "something sexy" that would "shake up the squash world" and gain publicity for her in the process. She agreed to do so, which caused much controversy.<ref name="smh1994" /> Fellow squash player [[Danielle Drady]], who was married to Martin's brother Rodney, later left him for Harte, who became her manager and similarly had her dress in [[plastic wrap|glad wrap]] for publicity.<ref name="smh1994"/><ref name="Gold Coast Sport">{{cite web |title=Danielle Harte (nee Drady) |url=http://www.goldcoastsport.com.au/Hall-Of-Fame/inductees/Danielle-Harte.html |publisher=Gold Coast Sporting Hall of Fame |access-date=30 August 2022}}</ref> Rodney became Martin's coach in 1998.<ref name="smh1998">{{cite news |url=http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?docID=news981111_0392_6193 |title=Our dynamic duopoly grinds out another year unchallenged |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=11 November 1998 |first=John |last=Huxley |page=45 |access-date=4 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161128191538/http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?docID=news981111_0392_6193|archive-date=28 November 2016}}</ref>

She spent 44 months as the best women's squash player in the world from March 1993 to October 1996 before [[Cassie Jackman]] of England broke her dominance; she was also ranked number one in the world in 1998 and 1999.<ref name="smh1998" /><ref name="sportsillustrated" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/squash/5721099/Malaysias-Nicol-David-unmatched-as-worlds-best-squash-player-for-third-year.html |title=Malaysia's Nicol David unmatched as world's best squash player for third year |last=Gilmour |first=Rod |date=2 July 2009 |work=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=3 March 2010}}</ref> She won three consecutive [[World Open (squash)|World Open]] championships from 1993 to 1995, and was a finalist in all the World Opens from 1992 to 1999 except 1996; she also won six consecutive [[British Open Squash Championships|British Opens]] from 1993 to 1998. She represented her country at the 1996 and 1999 Squash World Cups, and won gold medals in the sport at the [[1998 Commonwealth Games|1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games]] in the women's singles and mixed doubles. She also won the [[Australian Open (squash)|Australian Open]] in 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, and 1999. At the end of 1999 she announced her retirement, saying she had achieved all her goals in the sport.<ref name="sahof" /> She worked as a manager and coach of the Australian women's junior and senior teams from 2003 to 2016.<ref name="hof2020">{{cite web|url=https://www.worldsquash.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/200609_Michelle-Martin-Hall-of-Fame-Interview.pdf|title=Michelle Martin, a high achiever|publisher=World Squash Federation|date=March 2020|first=Diane|last=Julien|access-date=30 August 2022}}</ref>

===World Open===

====Finals: 7 (3 titles, 4 runners-up)====

{| class="sortable wikitable"
!width="100"| Outcome
!width="350"| Year
!width="200"| Location
!width="150"| Opponent in the final
!width="200"| Score in the final
|-
| bgcolor="FFA07A" | Runner-up || [[1992 Women's World Open Squash Championship]] || Vancouver, Canada || {{flagicon|NZL}} [[Susan Devoy]] || 9–4, 9–6, 9–4
|-
| bgcolor="98FB98" | Winner || [[1993 Women's World Open Squash Championship]] || Johannesburg, South Africa || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Liz Irving]] || 9–2, 9–2, 9–1
|-
| bgcolor="98FB98" | Winner || [[1994 Women's World Open Squash Championship]] || [[Saint Peter Port]], Guernsey || {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Cassie Jackman]] || 9–1, 9–0, 9–6
|-
| bgcolor="98FB98" | Winner || [[1995 Women's World Open Squash Championship]] || Hong Kong || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Sarah Fitz-Gerald]] || 8–10, 9–2, 9–6, 9–3
|-
| bgcolor="FFA07A" | Runner-up || [[1997 Women's World Open Squash Championship]] || Sydney, Australia || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Sarah Fitz-Gerald]] || 9–5, 5–9, 6–9, 9–2, 9–3
|-
| bgcolor="FFA07A" | Runner-up || [[1998 Women's World Open Squash Championship]] || Stuttgart, Germany || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Sarah Fitz-Gerald]] || 10–8, 9–7, 2–9, 3–9, 10–9
|-
| bgcolor="FFA07A" | Runner-up || [[1999 Women's World Open Squash Championship]] || Seattle, United States || {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Cassie Campion]] || 9–6, 9–7, 9–7
|}

===World Team Championships===

====Finals: 6 (4 title, 2 runner-up)====

{| class="sortable wikitable"
!width="100"| Outcome
!width="350"| Year
!width="200"| Location
!width="150"| Opponent in the final
!width="150"| Score in the final
|-
| bgcolor="FFA07A" | Runner-up || [[1987 Women's World Team Squash Championships]] || Auckland, New Zealand || {{flagicon|ENG}} England || 2–1
|-
| bgcolor="FFA07A" | Runner-up || [[1990 Women's World Team Squash Championships]] || Sydney, Australia || {{flagicon|ENG}} England || 2–1
|-
| bgcolor="98FB98" | Winner || [[1992 Women's World Team Squash Championships]] || Vancouver, Canada || {{flagicon|NZL}} New Zealand || 2–1
|-
| bgcolor="98FB98" | Winner || [[1994 Women's World Team Squash Championships]] || [[Saint Peter Port]], Guernsey || {{flagicon|ENG}} England || 3–0
|-
| bgcolor="98FB98" | Winner || [[1996 Women's World Team Squash Championships]] || [[Petaling Jaya]], Malaysia || {{flagicon|ENG}} England || 2–1
|-
| bgcolor="98FB98" | Winner || [[1998 Women's World Team Squash Championships]] || Stuttgart, Germany || {{flagicon|ENG}} England || 3–0
|}

==Personal life==
Martin was married to Stephen Lacy, who was also her manager when she played professional squash, and the couple has two sons.<ref name="sportsillustrated"/><ref name="hof2020"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://7news.com.au/the-morning-show/story-info/wake-up-call-how-a-weird-feeling-saved-squash-champion-michelle-martins-life-when-she-was-diagnosed-with-heart-disease-c-3969909|title=Wake-up call: How a 'weird' feeling saved squash champion Michelle Martin's life when she was diagnosed with heart disease|work=[[The Morning Show (TV program)|The Morning Show]]|date=15 September 2021|access-date=30 August 2022}}</ref>

==Recognition==
In 1994, Martin was named New South Wales Sportswoman of the Year.<ref name="smh1994"/> She was inducted into the Australian Squash Hall of Fame in 1995 and was upgraded to Legend status in 2011; she was also inducted into the New South Wales Sports Hall of Champions in 1998, the Women's Squash Hall of Fame in 2000, and the Queensland Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.<ref name="sahof" /><ref name="squashausoam">{{cite web |url=http://www.squash.org.au/news-app/michelle-martin-awarded-an-oam |title=Michelle Martin awarded an OAM |publisher=[[Squash Australia]] |access-date=31 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101223640/http://www.squash.org.au/news-app/michelle-martin-awarded-an-oam|archive-date=1 November 2013}}</ref> She received an [[Australian Sports Medal]] in 2000 and a [[Medal of the Order of Australia]] in 2013.<ref name="oam" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/982855 |title=Miss Michelle Martin: Australian Sports Medal |publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet|access-date=31 October 2013}}</ref> She was inducted into the World Squash Hall of Fame, the [[Sport Australia Hall of Fame]], and the [[Australian Institute of Sport]] "Best of the Best" in 2001.<ref name="sahof" /><ref name="squashausoam" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/about/history/awards/best_of_the_best |title=Best of the Best |publisher=[[Australian Institute of Sport]] |access-date=31 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102225147/http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/about/history/awards/best_of_the_best |archivedate=2 November 2013 }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of WISPA number 1 ranked players]]
* [[Official Women's Squash World Ranking]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{WISPA|T00010}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051203162228/http://www.squashpics.com/pastplayers/michelle_martin.htm Page at Squashpics.com]
* {{SquashInfo|870}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-sports}}
{{succession box
| before = [[Susan Devoy]] <br />[[Sarah Fitz-Gerald]]
| after = [[Sarah Fitz-Gerald]]<br />[[Cassie Jackman]]
| title = [[Official Women's Squash World Ranking|World No. 1]]
| years = May 1993 – October 1996 <br /> November 1998 – December 1999
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Squash World Number Ones (women)}}
{{British Open squash women's singles champions}}
{{Squash World Open women's champions}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Michelle}}
[[Category:1967 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Australian female squash players]]
[[Category:Australian Institute of Sport squash players]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Australia]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in squash]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games squash players for Australia]]
[[Category:Squash players at the 1998 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 1998 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Sportswomen from New South Wales]]
[[Category:Sportswomen from Queensland]]
[[Category:Squash players from Brisbane]]
[[Category:Squash players from Sydney]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Australian Sports Medal]]
[[Category:Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian sportswomen]]