HighFIVE: Ashley Lahey
For everyone, and even more so for college athletes, the pandemic has seriously altered the path they were on. But the number one collegiate tennis player in the country, Pepperdine senior Ashley Lahey, has used the challenging circumstances to her advantage.
Growing up in Boulder, Ashley left at 12 years-old to train with the USTA in California. Raised in a family of strong and competitive athletes, Ashley said it was her mother, a great squash player, who introduced her to the sport where she now holds the No. 1 spot. And this unprecedented time has given her a few unexpected gifts.
“You can’t really control the situation you are in,” Ashley said, “but you can make the best of the situation,” reflecting that while we have restrictions in the US, there are some countries where people cannot leave their homes.
Making the most of her own situation, Ashley was able return to her hometown of Boulder where she helped coach young players, took the Medical College Admission Test [scoring really well, by the way], and spent valuable time with her family.
“I’ve spent the last four years studying for medical school,” Ashley said. “But it’s definitely going to be the dream that I put on hold for a while I pursue tennis,” she explained, adding that there was a reality to her body being in the top condition it can be.
That physical conditioning has been achievable with everything Boulder offers. She’s been able to run, bike, hike, and do yoga flow.
“My fitness regimen has been pretty intense. I have intentional training to make sure I’m in shape. I’m also hitting consistently,” she said, crediting Sue Burke, Nico Todero and great friend, Rebecca Weissmann, for keeping her tennis at the level it needs to be returning back to the courts at Pepperdine hopefully next year.
“All of them have been amazing to hit with. They’ve inspired me and helped keep me going,” she said of her practice partners.
She’s also loved the chance she’s had to work with young players, drawing for them their enthusiasm and joy of life. And while she sees herself playing professionally and then becoming a doctor, this opportunity to coach has given her happiness and a way to give back to her community, on the courts where she herself learned to play.
But perhaps the most valuable time Ashley’s spent during the pandemic has been with family, a unique period of time where they’ve been together in a way that she’s truly treasured.
“Getting to do life with them with them is very exciting,” she said. It’s also a chance to do things for herself that she normally can’t do and feels there have been bright moments in an otherwise dark time. “You get to be really present in the moment you are in.”
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