Judy Murray on her toughest ever challenge, losing two friends to breast cancer

Apr 13 2008 By Lesley Roberts

Exclusive: Judy Murray On Her Toughest Challenge Ever

JUDY MURRAY has coached her two sons to the very top in the brutally competitive world of tennis - and earned a reputation as a tough cookie along the way.

But when two of her closest tennis pals, Eileen Christie and Nicky Mabbitt, died of breast cancer within 10 months, Judy realised she might not be so tough after all.

The woman who produced a new generation of tennis greats - UK No.1 Andy Murray and Wimbledon doubles champ Jamie - found herself fragile.

She said: "It was so very very sad and I saw how vulnerable we all are. Eileen and Nicky were my friends for years.

"We played in the same tournaments, we each had two children, we were much the same age.

"And we thought we were young, active and fit. It was such a shock to lose them."

So as her boys tour the tournaments of the world and prepare to launch a band-of-brothers attack on Wimbledon, their mother has taken on a new challenge.

Judy, 48, has thrown herself into fundraising for Breast Cancer Care Scotland, determined to support other women battling the disease.

Losing her pals had such a profound effect they are now her inspiration and their illness has made her acutely aware of her own health and her own body.

Eileen had been captain of the West of Scotland Ladies team, and a friend of Judy since their early 20s.

Nicky was a fellow coach and a county tennis star, having moved to Scotland from Shropshire.

Scare Judy, herself a former Scottish Ladies champion, said: "I'm now really aware of the risks, especially when you get to the kind of age I am now.

"I've never had a scare myself but I am breast aware and I am approaching the age to start on the screening programme.

"Eileen and Nicky were the first friends I've lost but they've fired me on to do something to help."

When Judy offered to launch Breast Cancer Care's Strawberry Teas fundraising campaign next month, she insisted that it wasn't just in name.

She has come up with her own event, found a venue, cajoled backers and even secured funding from Highland Spring, one of Andy's sponsors.

Judy went on: "I wanted to do something related to tennis because we're heading for Wimbledon and everyone loves that.

"When the boys were young, I used to do some tennis coaching at Gleneagles Hotel with Virginia Wade.

"So I thought it would be a good idea to do a couple of coaching clinics there - combined with a Strawberry Tea.

"It's just for ladies - because I'm a great believer that mums are the key to getting kids involved with tennis. If you can get the mums to enjoy it, they'll encourage the children to take it up.

"My event isn't going to suit everyone, of course, but I hope it gets women thinking about how they can hold their own strawberry tea in their back garden or church or tennis club, to raise money for this great cause."

Judy spoke of her pain in the week that TV talk show host Trisha Goddard revealed she is fighting breast cancer and is undergoing treatment.

"It's brave of Trisha to speak out like this publicly," said Judy.

"We really need high-profile people to talk about their experiences. It makes sure that this disease isn't hidden away."

Judy is back living in Scotland after nearly 10 years accompanying her sons on the world tennis circuit. Only now does she have time to invest in outside interests of her own, such as Breast Cancer Care.

She has also been hired as talent and performance manager for the LTA (Lawn Tennis Association), based at the University of Stirling's tennis centre.

Which means Andy, 20, and Jamie, 22, are slogging it out in far-flung competitions while mum works with the next generation of stars and frets about her grown-up boys.

Judy might have stepped off the tour but she can't quite leave it behind.

She said: "I only go to tournaments from time to time now but I still worry about them. Andy likes having me around. It's a pretty lonely existence out there.

"You're travelling from one place to the next, just you and your coach. Andy now has a friend with him, which gives him company and makes me feel better.

"Jamie is the one who'd rather I get out of his face. He says I'm bad for his street cred."

But the Murray brothers cross paths at grand slam tournaments these days, which is reassuring for their mother.

"They're together a lot more than they were 18 months ago," she said. "And they support each other in different ways. That helps me enormously. I love to know that they have each other close by.

"But Jamie is good at keeping in touch by phone and text. Andy tends to phone when he's got a problem. If I pick up the phone and see his number I think, 'Oh no, what now?'"

As a professional coach, Judy loves to scrutinise their game and advise on how to improve. But as a mum, she just wants to protect them from criticism and pressure.

Andy feels the weight of expectation to win grand slam titles but any blip in performance - he recently dropped to 22 in world rankings - provokes negative reaction. Judy said: "It was easier when they were on the way up.

"Everything was new and no one expected anything. But once you're up there, you can only go down.

"When I hear Andy being criticised I have the urge to shout, 'Oh leave him alone.

He's only 20 and he's 22 in the world and he's got no points to defend until August.'"

But centre court stress is an occupational hazard for the Murray tennis dynasty. Judy is used to being woken in the early hours of the morning with scores from the other side of the world.

She'd rather hear the result over the phone than watch the match on TV because she can't cope with the frustration of being unable to help.

"If I'm in the crowd, I can make a noise and support them," she said. "When they see me there, it's like security and settles them down.

"So I can't bear to watch it on TV.

Myhouse always ends up really clean, though, as I tend to busy myself doing that instead, or I go out for a long walk till I think it's over."

The tennis world might be full of overbearing parents trying to live out their own dreams through their offspring but Judy insists she's not one of them.

An ambitious mum and a determined mum, maybe - but not pushy.

"Do they look like I could push them around?" she asks. "I read things about me being a dreadful, domineering woman and I think, 'Who? Me?' "There's a difference between parents who push kids into things and parents who push to make things happen. I would never force my kids to do anything.

"But I pushed to make opportunities for them - because there weren't any when they were younger."

Now her sons don't need her quite so much, she's focusing that attention on making things happen for other people.

WHO IS WITH JUDY?

NEXT week the Sunday Mail launches its search for two readers to be models in Breast Cancer Care Scotland's fundraising fashion show.

We want to hear from women and men who have fought the disease and want to get up on the catwalk to prove you can still look and feel great.

Judy Murray said: "I've been to the previous two fashion shows and there's such a lovely feel about the event.

"Everyone is having such a good time. It's inspirational. This is something that affects so many people."

Breast Cancer Care's Strawberry Teas fundraising drive starts on May 23.

For more information see www.breastcancercare.org.uk/ strawberry or call 0870 164 9422.

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