Wistaston Squash Player Catherine Woodhart Heads to World Championships
The 73-year-old will represent her local club on the world stage after reaching number two in Europe in the Women’s Over 70s category.
By Nantwich News
A 73-year-old squash player from Wistaston is preparing to compete at the World Masters Squash Championships in Australia after reaching number two in Europe in the Women’s Over 70s category.
Catherine Woodhart will travel to Perth for the 2026 World Masters Squash Championships, which take place from 30 August to 6 September and bring together veteran players from across the world.
Her place among Europe’s leading competitors is the latest achievement in a sporting career spanning more than five decades.
Woodhart first discovered squash at the age of 19 while studying at the University of Warwick, where she joined a beginners’ course run by former Great Britain triple jumper Michael Ralph.
A few years later, she entered the Lancashire Closed Championships and reached the quarter-finals. Her performances led to coaching from Nazrullah Khan, part of the renowned Khan squash dynasty that dominated the sport for many years.
She went on to represent Cheshire for around 30 years across several age categories and has been associated with Crewe Vagrants for much of her playing career.
Woodhart later won the British Closed Over-50s Championship, earning selection for England in the Home Internationals. She represented her country again the following year and won every match she played against the other Home Nations across the two competitions.
After stepping away from tournament squash for around 20 years, she returned to competition in the Over 70s category and quickly established herself among the leading players in Europe.
She finished runner-up in both the British Masters and European Masters Championships and was also a finalist in the Women’s Over 70s event at the 2025 European Masters, where she was beaten by Scotland’s Pauline Douglas.
Woodhart has previously competed at the World Masters, where her only defeats came against players who went on to win medals, underlining the level at which she continues to compete.
Despite her international success, she remains closely involved with the local squash community and continues to represent Crewe Vagrants.
She also helps encourage more women to take up the sport, running a regular ladies’ coaching session at the club for players of all abilities.
The 2026 World Masters Squash Championships will be staged in Perth, Western Australia, from 30 August to 6 September, with Woodhart aiming to add another major result to an already remarkable career.