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Alexia Clonda on Mindset, Negativity and Positivity, and Uplifting Others

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    It’s the 1983 World Squash Open. Australia’s women’s national team is seeded 4th. Approaching the tournament as the underdogs, no one expected them to win. But they did. Team Australia bested Team England to secure the title. Playing the 2 seed for the team is none other than Alexia Clonda.       The 1983 World Open was Clonda’s first time making the Australian team. In the individual category of the competition, Clonda entered as a low seed, only to achieve remarkable upsets to reach the semi-finals. Looking back on this cherished squash memory of hers, Clonda notes “for the team to depend on me twice was an honor. I do see it as a pressure, but it was for me. I was just showing what I was capable of doing.”       Clonda’s path to success began when she was 13 years old. Having had asthma since she was young, Clonda had no intention of pursuing sports when she decided to follow a friend to the local squash club for fun. Despite her initial lack of interest, she was immediately ro