Ep175: Amanda Sobhy, Squash Pro Recovering from 2nd Achilles Rupture
August 22, 2024
Amanda Sobhy is the highest ranked American born squash player ever. She is the first US player to win a world championship title, which she did on her 17th birthday at the 2010 world junior championships. She graduated from Harvard University in 2015 with a remarkable 62-0 undefeated college career, three team titles, and four individual titles.
After graduating Harvard University with a degree in Social Anthropology and a minor in Global Health and Health Policy, Amanda went full time on the professional tour. She reached a career high ranking of 6 in the world before rupturing her left achilles while competing in a tournament in Floridablanca, Colombia in March 2017, which sidelined her for 10 months. After coming back in January 2018, Sobhy worked her way back to the top of the rankings to come back better than before. She reached a career high of world No. 3 in 2021 making her the first American player ever to crack the top 3 in the world rankings.
Amanda captured twenty titles on the PSA World Tour, and won six US Women’s National titles. She represented Team USA in three Pan-American Games, where she won a total of seven gold medals and two silver medals. She became the first squash player ever to win three gold medals at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto winning in the singles, doubles, and team event. She then went on to repeat her historic triple gold medal performance at the 2019 Pan American Games in Peru. Sobhy represented Team USA in five World Team Championships. She most recently led Team USA to its all time best finish of second place at the 2022 Women’s World Team Championship.
Almost seven years after her left achilles rupture, Amanda unfortunately tore her right achilles while competing in the finals of the Hong Kong Open in December 2023. She is sidelined for another nine months with plans to return back on the professional tour in September 2024. Outside of the squash court, Amanda is an inspirational speaker who uses her story about overcoming adversity and setbacks as a professional athlete to inspire others. As the highest ranked American squash player in the history of the United States and one of the top players the world, Amanda has already overcome her first achilles rupture in 2017, a decade long private struggle with an eating disorder, and is currently coming back from her second achilles rupture. All at the age of 30. Amanda uses her story and experience to inspire others who are facing their own challenges in life and shares the mindset behind overcoming them and becoming a champion. She also serves on the board of the Professional Squash Association, Squash & Education Alliance, and USSquash, and is an ambassador for the recently launched USSquash Foundation.
In this episode, Amanda tells Hear Her Sports host Elizabeth Emery about her experiences with injury, recovery, rehab, and maintaining her mental strength.
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Amanda’s website
Paris Squash 2024
Amanda discusses her almost decade-long struggle with an eating disorder in Episode 145. Listen HERE.
Jae Grunke in Episode 143 discusses moving well.
Amanda isn’t old but she does talk about aging so here is the Hear Her Sports Spotify Aging Well playlist.