Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, February 19, 2022: One of Asia’s most successful athletes, Nicol David, has received an honorary doctorate from the Heriot-Watt University Malaysia for her contribution to sport and for promoting the importance of education to empower lives.
Nicol, 38, is regarded as the greatest female squash player of all time, holding the world number one ranking for 112 months during her trophy-filled career which included eight world championships. She retired from the pro squash circuit in 2019.
In accepting the award, Nicol told the graduates: “Playing squash professionally for over 20 years taught me great lessons. Life is never a straight forward path. We will encounter obstacles always in every step we take; some may be small, some may be big, but we will always have to reroute to find our path.
“There is no right path in life; the beauty is finding the strength in you to push through when things get tough. Hard work will always pay off, and being resilient for your dreams.”
She also advised students to stay away from negative people and, instead, to dream big.
“Having a positive environment around you will make the biggest difference in your path to reach your dreams. Make it a priority,” she added.
Photo: Nicol David Facebook