Datuk Nicol Ann David is not just a name that's synonymous with national sports, it's also one that's recognised as the Greatest Athlete of All Time by The World Games, having won eight World Open titles and being ranked the world's Number One for a record-breaking 108 consecutive months. Yet, she's as grounded as they come, arriving solo, and early at that, to our shoot location. "I like to beat the traffic," she simply says upon arrival.

After retiring from the competition in 2019, Nicol is now game for a new challenge and is focusing her efforts on her foundation, the Nicol David Organisation. "It's very, very close to my heart. I've been wanting to give back after all that squash and the country has given me. Its objective is to empower girls and boys through sports and education and I aim to do that by teaching squash and English." Ahead, she tells us more about her new venture:

WHAT'S A TYPICAL DAY IN THE LIFE OF NICOL DAVID LIKE?
"Every day, I'll wake up in the morning and get a good, solid breakfast to start the day fresh. Now that I'm in the midst of setting up my foundation, I have a lot of meetings throughout the day, so I have to be ready from the get-go. Aside from a lunch break, I try to find time in the afternoon to fit in a workout; perhaps it's squash or something functional to get my body moving because I can't sit still. In the evenings, I'll have some time to myself and recharge, grab a good dinner and sleep. Resting is really important—it's essential for me to get at least seven to eight hours of sleep so I can start strong the next day."

HOW IMPORTANT IS TIME TO YOU?
"I believe that time is so crucial because every moment defines what you're going to do next. We have to make those moments count and I always say that we have to be working hard at every stage. If you don't fully utilise the time that you have at hand, it's going to be wasted in a second. So take those opportunities you're presented with straight away—don't let that time go."

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM THE NICOL DAVID ORGANISATION?
"We're going to be teaching, mainly squash and English. I believe that education in English will really open up doors to opportunities for children if they are proficient, and help shape these kids from a young age to grow holistically as a whole. It especially helped me in my own life and career."

"We're going to make this a subsidised after-school programme and approach the B40 and M40 families. The children will go to the centre twice a week, have that extra learning experience and gain all these positive values. It will be based in the Bukit Jalil Golf & Country Resort. We're going to have three squash courts and three classrooms. We've received great support all around and the US embassy is going to help with our English modules. We'll admit students from eight years old and see them through a long-term period until they finish their primary years. It's going to be all fun learning such as English, dancing, playing—whatever that can enhance what the kids are learning in school."

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR DOWNTIME?
"I like dancing. It's been a bit difficult to do so in recent months because a lot of places are closed but I love to dance and go to street-dance classes—fun, basic ones, nothing too crazy. Perhaps I would eventually start TikTok with the foundation kids. Aside from that, I like doodling as it really gives me peace of mind, clears my head up and puts whatever I feel at that moment onto paper."

WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT COMPETING PROFESSIONALLY?
"The excitement, the rush, the drive. But when you have played it for 20 years and competed so much at such high levels all the time, that constant pressure and expectation really wear you down. At the end of my career, I really gave it all I got and I had nothing left to give. That rush doesn't seem to stay the same. That edge you fight for every point, or hunger for the game, those things kind of lose their feel over time, so at the end of my career, I think that competitive side had left me and I was ready for a new adventure. I now don't miss the competition so much but I've always loved the challenge."

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE OF NATIONAL SQUASH NOW THAT YOU'RE NOT COMPETING?
"The players that are upcoming right now are really promising. We have some players that are studying in the US at Cornell University, and also in Bristol, England, and they are the ones that are really striving to be our best players in the future. We also have amazing juniors coming through, winning junior tournaments overseas as well. They come by default because the development of squash is continuously growing. We just hope that we give them the right guidance and know-how for them to pursue further in squash and that they want to be champions for themselves."

IS THERE A MESSAGE YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH THE YOUTH REGARDING TIME MANAGEMENT?
"With time management, it's all about understanding how to plan out your daily and weekly schedules. Putting a priority on your work, but also making a little bit of time for leisure and play. Overall, it's making sure that those plans are geared up towards what you want to do and what you want to achieve—that's how you can manage time so much better."

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