Carin Clonda

Did You Know?

• In 2012, Clonda was involved in a court dispute with NSW Squash; Justice Michael Pembroke ruled against her company, and the Governor-General cancelled her Medal of the Order of Australia.
• Between 2012 and 2016, Clonda filed three claims against NSW Squash Ltd that were subsequently settled.
• In 2008 she was a 'Games Champion' of the first AsiaPacific Outgames in Melbourne.

Squash playing career

Clonda began squash at 13 and soon won the Australian Under-16 title. In 1978 she claimed the New South Wales and Australian Junior Women's Championships in three age groups. After being diagnosed with chronic asthma that year, she took eighteen months off for respiratory treatment, then resumed playing. In 1979 she won the British Junior Women's Open, becoming the de facto under-19 world champion.

Sports administration

From 2005 to 2009 Clonda served as CEO and director of NSW Squash, also managing its Thornleigh Squash Centre. She worked as a squash administrator for the 2002 Gay Games in Sydney and the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. In 2010 she co-founded the Australian Squash Group, a non-profit consultancy, with fellow champion David Palmer.

Personal life

Clonda dealt with numerous health issues during her career, including chronic asthma. In 1989 she had surgery to remove a leg tumour and then spinal fusion surgery that carried a risk of permanent paralysis. She later developed chronic fatigue syndrome, which worsened her asthma and led to infections, a dislocated pelvis, and tumour recurrence. She underwent bilateral hip replacements in 2009 and suffered a heart attack in 2016.