{"id":20338,"date":"2025-07-02T06:51:03","date_gmt":"2025-07-01T20:51:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/act\/?p=20338"},"modified":"2025-07-03T11:36:00","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T01:36:00","slug":"wendy-and-sam-leading-the-way-for-women-and-girls-in-tennis-act-and-region","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/act\/news\/2025\/07\/02\/wendy-and-sam-leading-the-way-for-women-and-girls-in-tennis-act-and-region","title":{"rendered":"Wendy and Sam: Leading the Way for Women and Girls in Tennis ACT and Region"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tennis ACT is proud to spotlight two inspiring figures who are shaping the future of tennis in the ACT and region \u2013 Wendy Grant and Samantha Henry. Through their involvement in national leadership programs, both individuals have demonstrated the incredible value of strong female voices in our sport, on and off the court.<\/p>\n

Wendy Grant<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wendy Grant\u2019s tennis journey began on the country courts of Victoria, but it is her deep-rooted contribution to the Queanbeyan tennis community that truly stands out. Since moving to the region in the late \u201890s, Wendy has become a cornerstone of her club \u2013 first as a player, then a committee member, and now as club president.<\/p>\n

Despite initial hesitation, Wendy joined the inaugural Women Leaders in Tennis (WLIT) program. \u201cI thought, \u2018What could I possibly learn?\u2019 But I\u2019m so glad I did \u2013 it was refreshingly different,\u201d she said. In a small group from the ACT and region, Wendy found an environment that allowed for honest conversations and meaningful connection.<\/p>\n

Her Action Learning Project focused on adolescent girls, combining tennis sessions with personal development workshops, and was supported by fellow program alum Sam Henry. The initiative brought in guest speakers such as nutritionists and tech leaders, reflecting Wendy\u2019s belief that sport is a platform for holistic growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe program gave me the confidence to advocate for facility upgrades and new offerings, like pickleball. We\u2019ve since seen hard court usage almost double,\u201d she shared. Wendy was later appointed to the Tennis ACT Board and even won the \u2018Queanbeyan Citizen of the Year\u2019 award for 2025, a testament to her ongoing impact.<\/p>\n

She urges others to get involved: \u201cYou don\u2019t have to do every module to gain something meaningful. Just do what you can \u2013 it\u2019s worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Samantha Henry<\/strong><\/p>\n

At just 17, Samantha Henry is already leaving a lasting impression on the tennis landscape in the ACT and region. Her journey began with social tennis in Year 5 and grew into squad training, private coaching, and club competition in Queanbeyan. Her club president \u2013 none other than Wendy \u2013 nominated her for the Learn 2 Lead program, recognising Sam\u2019s dedication and potential.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe program really helped me grow into myself,\u201d Sam said. \u201cI was already coaching but Learn 2 Lead gave me the confidence to connect with people across Tennis ACT and Tennis Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her action project \u2013 a Girls Bring a Friend Come-and-Try Day \u2013 will be held during the club\u2019s 140th<\/sup> anniversary celebrations this spring. \u201cWe\u2019ll have music, food, and coaching for all ball stages. It\u2019s a great way to introduce girls to tennis in a fun, social way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since completing the program, Sam has gone from being a ball kid to MCing the Women and Girls Breakfast at the Workday Canberra International. She also became the youngest-ever finalist for the Tennis ACT Volunteer Achievement Award and continues to mentor younger participants.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just about tennis \u2013 it\u2019s about learning to lead in all areas of life. I\u2019d recommend Learn 2 Lead to any girl who wants to build confidence and make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tennis ACT\u2019s CEO Mark La Brooy states, \u201cWendy and Sam are a great example of what can come from considered programs being delivered well. Both the Women Leaders in Tennis program and Learn 2 Lead have developed some wonderful leaders within the region at a grass-roots level along with numerous actionable programs that will continue to shape the way our game is played in the ACT and region. Wendy has also continued to expand her role within the region, now as a Director on the Board of Tennis ACT, while Sam continues to mentor others within her club and the Learn to Lead program. They say, you can\u2019t be what you can\u2019t see. Well, Wendy and Sam are certainly shining lights for future female leaders.\u201d<\/p>\n

Together, Wendy and Sam represent two generations of women making tennis more inclusive, empowering, and inspiring. Through leadership, mentorship, and a shared passion for the game, they are helping pave the way for future women and girls in tennis across the ACT and region.<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tennis ACT is proud to spotlight two inspiring figures who are shaping the future of tennis in the ACT and region \u2013 Wendy Grant and Samantha Henry. Through their involvement in national leadership programs, both individuals have demonstrated the incredible value of strong female voices in our sport, on and off the court. Wendy Grant […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6431,"featured_media":20320,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20338","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/act\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20338","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/act\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/act\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/act\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6431"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/act\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20338"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/act\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20338\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/act\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20320"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/act\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20338"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/act\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20338"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/act\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}