It was skiing rather than serving that first kick-started LTA Tennis Award-winner Yvonne Birnie’s memorable journey.
Birnie, from Aviemore, recently celebrated receiving Scotland’s Lifetime Achievement Award for her pioneering work at Rothiemurchus and Aviemore Tennis Club, which she joined in 1986 and where she has worked tirelessly at ever since.
The 75-year-old was club treasurer for more than two decades, but started out by securing funding for a redevelopment project that led to new courts, a clubhouse and floodlights.
Birnie started playing tennis as an eight-year-old in Glasgow, her home city, but suffered a lung embolism at 28 that prevented her playing the sport she adored.
But a trip to the French Alps got the fire burning again, as Birnie met husband Bob – who recently passed away aged 84 – on a ski holiday in Flaine in 1986.
“I went up to live with him in Aviemore, and the tennis club here was pretty poor so I decided to get my teeth into it,” said Birnie, who is also on the committee at Highland Tennis.
“The club just got bigger and bigger and we installed new floodlit courts, a clubhouse and cover courts, which were big projects I was heavily involved in.
“Bob was the reason I moved to Aviemore and he was very supportive of any tennis project I did and helped tremendously at the club. I love tennis because it’s outdoors, it’s fun and it’s competitive.
“I was quite shocked to win this award but it’s nice to be rewarded as I know I’ve worked hard.
“But it’s been a team effort and my husband, in particular, helped a lot, so although I’ve been the driving force behind it all, everything I’ve done has been associated with other people.”
Successful regional winners now progress to the LTA’s National finals in each of their respective categories, with Birnie’s accomplishments judged alongside the best in the country.
LTA chief executive Scott Lloyd said: “These awards acknowledge the extraordinary contribution of the individuals and venues that help us open tennis up, bringing new fans and players to our sport.
“Now more than ever, it is important we celebrate their contributions and hope that tennis can rally together to get through this very challenging time.”
Launched in 2015, the LTA Tennis Awards acknowledge those involved in tennis – from the 25,000 volunteers, to the 4,400 coaches and 940 officials, as well as the 20,000 schools, 2,700 clubs and more than 9,700 LTA-approved tournaments.
A record 2,100 nominations were received nationally this year.
l For more information about the work the LTA is doing across Britain, visit LTA.org.uk
