Campbell Grayson
{{short description|New Zealand squash player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=July 2018}}
{{Infobox squash player
| name = Campbell Grayson
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| fullname =
| nickname =
| country = {{NZL}}
| residence = New York City, U.S.
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1986|3|04}}
| birth_place = Auckland, New Zealand
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height = {{height|m=1.80|precision=0}}
| weight = {{convert|77|kg|lb}}
| turnedpro = 2007
| retired = 2020
| plays = Right-Handed
| coach = Paul Hornsby
| racquet = Dunlop Rackets
| website =
| event = Men's Singles, Team Doubles
| years_active =
| highest_ranking = No. 24
| date_of_highest_ranking = February 2020
| current_ranking =
| date_of_current_ranking =
| WorldOpenresult =
| titles = 14
| finals = 24
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport|Men's squash}}
{{MedalCountry|{{NZL}}}}
{{MedalComp|World Doubles Championships}}
{{MedalBronze|2016 Darwin|Doubles}}
{{MedalBronze|2017 Manchester|Doubles}}
| updated = 13 April 2022
}}
Campbell Grayson (born 4 March 1986 in Auckland, New Zealand) is a New Zealand retired professional squash player. He reached a career-high world ranking of World No. 24 in February 2020.{{Cite web|date=2021|title=Campbell Grayson|url=https://www.psaworldtour.com/players/view/771|url-status=live|access-date=2021-05-19|website=www.psaworldtour.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150124100014/https://psaworldtour.com/players/view/771 |archive-date=24 January 2015 }}{{Cite web|date=19 May 2021|title=Campbell Grayson|url=https://www.squashinfo.com/player/520-campbell-grayson|access-date=2021-05-19|website=www.squashinfo.com}}
Early life and education
Grayson first picked up tennis at the age of six, along with golf and cricket. From the ages of six to twelve, Grayson was selected to be a part of Auckland's elite tennis junior squad, and went on to win numerous Auckland Championship titles. Grayson represented Auckland in tennis at the New Zealand Junior Tennis Nationals in 1996 and made the semi-finals of the U-12 Doubles Event.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}}
Training at Titirangi Rackets Club, Grayson's first home-club, Grayson's attention shifted to the game of squash, which his father played. Grayson picked up the squash racket and converted his attention to squash at eleven years old, after winning his first U-13 New Zealand Nationals title in 1997.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}}
Grayson attended Kaurilands Primary School, Glen Eden Intermediate School and Avondale College. In 2005, Grayson was awarded the NZ Prime Minister's High Performance Scholarship.{{Cite web|last=|date=7 September 2005|title=Scholarships to help athletes study and train|url=https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0509/S00196/scholarships-to-help-athletes-study-and-train.htm?from-mobile=bottom-link-01|url-status=live|access-date=2021-05-19|website=www.scoop.co.nz|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519032838/https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0509/S00196/scholarships-to-help-athletes-study-and-train.htm?from-mobile=bottom-link-01 |archive-date=19 May 2021 }}{{Cite web|url =http://www.nzsquash.co.nz/content/docs/about_us/archive/Annual_Reports/Squash%20New%20Zealand%20Annual%20Report%202005.pdf|title =Squash NZ Annual Report|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20150924053803/http://www.nzsquash.co.nz/content/docs/about_us/archive/Annual_Reports/Squash%20New%20Zealand%20Annual%20Report%202005.pdf|archive-date =24 September 2015|url-status =dead|df =dmy-all}} He studied at Unitec Institute of Technology, majoring in Sports Management. In 2006, Grayson was awarded the Sportsperson of the Year Award at Unitec,{{Cite web|title = Unitec Student Union Awards Top Athletes {{!}} Scoop News|url = http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0610/S00064/unitec-student-union-awards-top-athletes.htm|website = www.scoop.co.nz|access-date = 2015-08-12}} and in 2009, Grayson was awarded Sportsman of the Year by Squash Auckland.{{Cite web|title = Squash Excellence Awards - Squash Auckland|url = http://interclub.squashauckland.org.nz/Squash_Excellence_Awards_76.aspx|website = interclub.squashauckland.org.nz|access-date = 2015-08-12}}
Career
Throughout his junior career, Grayson won the U-13, U-15, U-17, U-19 New Zealand age group national titles.{{Cite web|date=2009-05-18|title=Grayson nabs junior title in a real thriller|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/western-leader/2389581/Grayson-nabs-junior-title-in-a-real-thriller|access-date=2021-05-19|website=Stuff|language=en}} In the final year of his junior career, he also won the U-19 New Zealand International Junior Open, Australian International Junior Open, and the Scottish International Junior Open. In the same year, he was placed 9th at the prestigious British Junior Open, and reached the last 16 at the 2004 World Junior Championships.
Following a successful junior career, Grayson's made his debut senior appearance at the 2005 World Senior Team Championships, which was held in Pakistan. A year later, in 2006, Grayson won the bronze medal at the 2006 World Doubles Championships in Melbourne, Australia, with his partner, Martin Knight.{{Cite web|title = 3rd World Doubles|url = http://www.squashsite.co.uk/3rd_world_doubles.htm|website = www.squashsite.co.uk|access-date = 2015-08-10}}{{Cite web|url =http://www.squashnz.co.nz/content/docs/about_us/Squash%20New%20Zealand%20Annual%20Report%202009.pdf|title =Squash NZ Annual Report 2009|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20160125052019/http://squashnz.co.nz/content/docs/about_us/Squash%20New%20Zealand%20Annual%20Report%202009.pdf|archive-date =25 January 2016|url-status =dead|df =dmy-all}} This performance gained him a position in the 2006 New Zealand Commonwealth Games team. During the 2006 Commonwealth Games, Grayson was placed 4th in the Men's Doubles Event.{{Cite web|date=2016-02-09|title=Campbell Grayson|url=https://olympic.org.nz/athletes/campbell-grayson|access-date=2021-05-19|website=New Zealand Olympic Team|language=en}}
Grayson started competing full-time on the PSA World Tour in 2007.{{Cite web|title = Campbell Grayson - Professional Squash Association|url = https://psaworldtour.com/players/view/771/info|website = psaworldtour.com|access-date = 2015-08-10}} As part of the New Zealand High Performance Program, Grayson relocated to Halifax, West Yorkshire, England (2007 - 2009).{{citation needed|date=August 2023}} Thereafter, he moved to Harrogate, where he trained under the tutelage of David Pearson (2010 - 2012). He broke into the World's Top 50 ranking in October 2009, and the Top 40 in April 2010.{{citation needed|date=August 2023}}
He has won two New Zealand Nationals Senior Titles (2010,{{Cite web|date=2020-10-29|title=Squash player still has bucket list item to tick off|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/429358/squash-player-still-has-bucket-list-item-to-tick-off|access-date=2021-05-19|website=RNZ |language=en-nz}} 2012{{Cite web|title = Archive - Squash News - Squash Auckland|url = http://interclub.squashauckland.org.nz/Archive---Squash-News_97.aspx|website = interclub.squashauckland.org.nz|access-date = 2015-08-10}}), and won the New Zealand PSA Classic in 2009.{{Cite web|url =http://www.squashnz.co.nz/content/docs/about_us/Squash%20New%20Zealand%20Annual%20Report%202009.pdf|title =Squash NZ Annual Report 2009|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20160125052019/http://squashnz.co.nz/content/docs/about_us/Squash%20New%20Zealand%20Annual%20Report%202009.pdf|archive-date =25 January 2016|url-status =dead|df =dmy-all}}
Outside of New Zealand, Grayson won 14 PSA Tour Titles, and represented New Zealand at seven World Senior Team Championships, and four Commonwealth Games (2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018).{{citation needed|date=August 2023}}
Career highlights include:
- Semi-Finalist, 2008 Australian Open
- Quarter-Finalist, 2008 Pakistan Open
- Finalist, 2010 Vancouver Open
- Round of 16, 2013 US Open
- Top-8, 2014 Commonwealth Games (Singles Event)
- Winner, 2019 Houston Open
In late 2012, Grayson relocated to the US. As at 2014 Grayson was based in New York City,{{Cite web|title = Catching Up With…Campbell Grayson {{!}} U.S. Open Squash|url = http://www.usopensquash.com/catching-up-with-campbell-grayson/|website = www.usopensquash.com|access-date = 2015-08-10|date = 4 September 2014}} and was the touring squash professional at New York Athletic Club. Previously, Grayson was based in Boston, as the touring squash professional at Cross Courts Academy, in Natick.{{Cite web|title = Junior Squash Academy {{!}} CrossCourts Squash|url = http://crosscourtsquash.com/?page_id=12|website = crosscourtsquash.com|access-date = 2015-08-10}}
Grayson was a member of the New Zealand Sports High Performance Squad.{{Cite web|date=2017|title=High Performance Sport New Zealand 2017 Core Investment|url=https://hpsnz.org.nz/content/uploads/2018/03/Core_Investment_2017.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209054916/http://hpsnz.org.nz/content/uploads/2018/03/Core_Investment_2017.pdf|archive-date=9 February 2021|access-date=18 May 2021|website=hpsnz.org.nz}} Grayson also represented Auckland and the Herne Bay Club when in New Zealand.{{Cite web|title=Herne Bay Ponsonby Rackets Club {{!}} Squash tennis and gym|url=https://hernebayrackets.co.nz/ems/index.cfm?section=727|access-date=2021-05-19|website=hernebayrackets.co.nz}}
In 2020 Grayson retired from professional squash.{{Cite web|date=2 September 2020|title=Campbell Grayson Retires From Professional Squash {{!}} PSA World Tour|url=https://psaworldtour.com/news/view/7722/campbell-grayson-retires-from-professional-squash|url-status=live|access-date=2021-05-19|website=psaworldtour.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920172938/https://psaworldtour.com/news/view/7722/campbell-grayson-retires-from-professional-squash |archive-date=20 September 2020 }}{{Cite web|last=Houston|first=Michael|date=13 September 2020|title=New Zealand squash player Grayson retires after 17 years on circuit|url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1098376/campbell-grayson-new-zealand-squash|url-status=live|access-date=2021-05-19|website=www.insidethegames.biz|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200914114351/https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1098376/campbell-grayson-new-zealand-squash |archive-date=14 September 2020 }}
Personal life
{{BLP unreferenced section|date=August 2023}}
Grayson participates in urban squash initiatives such as Harlem-based StreetSquash, which aims to improve the lives of inner-city children in Harlem through the game of squash; Grayson played for the Harvard Club of New York City at the 2015 StreetSquash Cup.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{PSA|new_id=campbell-grayson|old_id=771|archive=20200813172414|archive2=20130705040541}}
- {{Squash Info|520}}
- {{NZOC profile|campbell-grayson}}
- {{CGF profile|}}
- {{2018 Commonwealth Games profile|squash/athlete-profile-n6025887-campbell-grayson}}
{{2006 New Zealand Commonwealth Games team}}
{{2010 New Zealand Commonwealth Games team}}
{{2014 New Zealand Commonwealth Games team}}
{{2018 New Zealand Commonwealth Games team}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grayson, Campell}}
Category:New Zealand male squash players
Category:Commonwealth Games competitors for New Zealand
Category:Squash players at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
Category:Squash players at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
Category:Squash players at the 2014 Commonwealth Games
Category:Squash players at the 2018 Commonwealth Games
Category:New Zealand expatriate sportspeople in England
Category:New Zealand expatriate sportspeople in the United States