Student first NT female to represent Australia in squash

A Charles Darwin University student will become the first female from the Northern Territory to represent Australia in squash at the World Junior Championships in New Zealand this week.

Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science student Jessica Osborne is the current open women’s NT champion and NT female junior champion, and has been ranked in the top five in Australia for the past 18 months.

The born and bred Territorian hopes to combine her love of sport into a career that helps other athletes.

“I have always been interested in sports and medicine, and hope to work in a field related to sports injury diagnostics or physiotherapy,” Jessica said. “I hope to transition into the CDU clinical sciences program and then into the NT medical program.”

She said remaining in Darwin to study at CDU has helped her juggle her first year of university with competing in squash on the world stage

“In Darwin we currently have the best squash facilities in Australia, and having the opportunity to study what I am passionate about at home with the support from my friends, family and squash club has been essential to my success.”

Jessica said her background in sports had even given her an advantage in the classroom.

“Generally I know where all the muscles are because they tend to get sore and strained,” she said. “But through subjects such as anatomy and physiology I am really improving my knowledge of how everything is connected, which may even help me prevent future injuries.”

She said she wanted to inspire more females to get involved in the sport.

“I am really proud to be representing the NT in the pool of other Australian female representatives,” she said. “I am also helping to coach the juniors at Squash NT. There are a couple of younger girls that I hope will come up through the ranks in the next couple of years.”

Jessica is in Tauranga, in New Zealand’s North Island, to compete in the event from July 19-24.