On top of the world
Tuesday 15th September 2009, 2:30PM BST.
Heather in action during the US Open. (PA Wire)
TENNIS star Heather Watson will be feted on her return to Guernsey.
Bailiff Sir Geoffrey Rowland yesterday said that her US Junior Open triumph would be celebrated with a civic reception.
He was one of many islanders to express their delight at the 17-year-old’s amazing success in knocking out the world number two on her way to victory at Flushing Meadows.
And the national media reaction to Heather’s outstanding achievement took her father, Ian, by surprise.
He was expecting column inches – not pages.
‘It even made the news pages in the broadsheets,’ he said.
‘It’s because winning a Grand Slam is everything. The organisers of some Olympic Games don’t like tennis because they know that the players value the Grand Slams more.’
Instead, national media scooped up Heather as a plucky Brit, triggering an outbreak of Guernsey Pride.
‘Guernsey is basically the fabric of who she is, what she is, and what she has achieved,’ said Mr Watson.
‘Some people might think that now she spends a considerable amount of time out of the island, that that has changed but it hasn’t. In fact the connection is even stronger.’
He said that Guernsey would always be home to his daughter.
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Congratulations Heather, well done!
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Congratulations to Heather Watson on such a marvellous win at the U>S Open. To reach that standard was wonderful. Also congrats to Bernard Tomic of Aust. Such talent is awesome!
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Isn’t this adulation of people who play sport getting a little bit out of hand? My Guernsey born daughter has served with the army in Kosovo, Afghanistan and just recently returned from a six month tour of Iraq, I don’t recall there being any mention of a civic reception for her. Working in full body armour at 50c while having mortars fired at you is a bit more arduous than running round the tennis courts of Florida for the last five years. Journalist often describe sports people as heroes, I suggest they look up the true meaning of that word.
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Heather Watson deserves much recognition for her talent, efforts and success however George Wheeler makes a valid point that it should be proportionate to her achievements.
It is patently nonsense to describe sporting stars as heroes. My best wishes go out to your daughter Mr Wheeler.
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I’m not sure the Press article actually describes Heather as a hero?
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Quite right Greg, this article doesn’t describe Miss Watson as a hero. Neither do I recall either George Wheeler or myself saying it did.
I believe the point that Mr Wheeler was making was a general comment that the media often describe sporting personalities as heroes. In this assertion he is absolutely spot on – I was merely adding my support to his view.
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