World No. 1 Women’s squash player, Datuk Nicol David showed up for a friendly game of squash with Infiniti Red Bull Racing’s drivers, Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kyvat. Right after that, we caught up and got her to tell us how it felt going up against the Infiniti Red Bull Racing drivers and what it’s like to be one of the world’s greatest squash players.
Are you a Formula One fan? Yeah! I started following Formula One when the F1 race came to Malaysia. I really admire what the drivers go through, it’s so intense and they’re such amazing athletes to be racing those cars. Actually, they seem really chilled out! What’s the difference between your normal opponents and F1 drivers? Well, I think that squash players and F1 drivers are technically very different but in terms of physical training, there are similarities. You have to be strong and focused for both sports and I remember how Alex Yoong (Malaysian ex-Formula One driver) used to do his conditioning with squash players. From a scale of 1 – 10, how do you think Daniel and Daniil performed at squash? I’d say 6 for both of them! They have really good hand to eye coordination and they hit the ball really well. And if you gave them a bit more time, I’d probably have to watch out for them! RELATED STORY Daniel And Dany Pick Up The Racquet What do you do in your spare time? When I’m not training in Amsterdam, I love to draw and catch live gigs.
Oh! And I’ve taken up street dancing classes whenever I get the chance to fill up my time as well. What’s the most amazing thing that’s ever happened to you? Becoming the world champion for the first time was really the most amazing experience for me. But one of the most memorable moments I’ve ever had was last year! It was the 2014 Laureus World Sports Awards in Malaysia and I was surrounded by so many world-class athletes and sporting legends. I even got the chance to present the ‘Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award’ to Rafael Nadal, it was just amazing. Since you’ve just gotten back in Malaysia, what’s the ‘one’ thing you must do? Eat! When you’re based overseas, the food here is the one thing that you miss the most. I love char kuey teow and in Penang when we’re coming from the airport on the way to my house, we’ll definitely stop by my favourite stall. And of course whenever I’m in town, I’ll always be catching up with my friends and family. What’s on your music playlist right now? Alicia Keys ‘We Are Here’ and ‘Glory’ by Common and John Legend. I feel that their voices on the tracks are so pure and it gets me pumped because I can really get into the music whenever I listen to them. Have you ever Googled yourself? Yes, but only for research! Sometimes I have to dig out old articles about my career when people ask for them. I’m not really fussed about what some people might say online, because I feel really privileged and so grateful to be where I am right now.
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