I started playing table tennis around my 11th birthday while on holidays in Tenerife. I joined a club in my native city of St-Peterburg and a year later I was training 5-6 times per week. Around the time I was 12 years old, my coach told me I was too old to have any prospect of becoming a good table tennis player and I was never even eligible to enter any national tournaments due to my low rankings. I faced a lot of taunting from fellow clubmates and probably had more reasons to quit the sport then to stay. I never had an aspiration to become a professional table tennis player, but I continued playing because I enjoyed competitive play and hoped that someday I would prove them wrong.
My first success came when I was aged 14 and I won an U17 Girls Leinster title. I went on to win that same competition for the next 4 years in a row and the trophy cup almost became a permanent fixture in my home, I even used it as my secret savings spot! I continued getting into the finals of the girls Under 17’s and 21’s events around Ireland and winning many of those tournaments. Unfortunately, due to my citizenship at the time, I was not eligible to represent Ireland as a junior player. It was hurtful to be left off every National squad and training camp and to miss out on the opportunities others had. It’s especially hard when you are 16 or 17, and you see others around you going on trips away and getting to wear the green jersey! I waited to put on the Irish jersey for the very first time aged 29.
I guess that feeling that I missed out on a lot of things as a Junior player, spurred me on to stay playing and competing at the Senior level. I stopped waiting to be selected, instead opting to travel on my own or with my friends. One year there was a dozen of us spending an amazing week together in Grenzau TT club, Germany. Other time me and my friends travelled to Blackpool Gran Prix on the ferry. I started playing Women’s British League and went on to play other events, like London, Jersey, Cardiff and Nottingham GP’s. I think at that point I realised that my joy from table tennis does not come from winning medals, but the “journey” itself. I love making travel arrangements, going to different places, exploring the local things and spending time with my friends. So, I went on to play club league in the south of France and currently, I’m with a club in Genoa, Italy.
I think athletes can get overly focused on achieving something in terms of placement, ranking, titles, performance. I am a firm believer that you should enjoy the process itself. Don’t get too critical because your team came second, fifth or last. Consider whether you had a great time on your table tennis trip because it’s your first time away from home, or because you stayed up chatting to your roommate way past midnight, or maybe it was that battle of a game that you won 15:13 in the deciding set! My most favourite victory as a player would definitely be winning Munster Open Mixed Doubles together with my spouse Brian Devereux (we faced some serious opposition!). I’m also proud to be the Ladies Intervarsity champion (in 2008 and 2023), the 15 year gap apparently being a record! Also, Jersey ice cream is one of the best in the world, along with shopping in Nice and boat trips off the coast of Italy. On the other hand, having your flight cancelled and spending a night at the airport is memorable, but certainly not fun! Your reason for playing table tennis right now could be different to why you decide to keep playing in future. There is no right or wrong reason, as long as its something that comes from your heart.
