Start as a Club Player, End Up on the World Stage
Read the inspiring story of how Queensland player Mary McMahon turned a moment of inspiration into a journey to the international croquet stage.
For years, the rhythm of Mary McMahon’s life was defined by the sharp, percussive sound of a squash ball hitting a wall. She was a competitor, driven by the instinctive pursuit of the next point, the next match, the next win. That feeling, that clear sense of purpose, was the engine. Then came retirement, and with it, a new quiet. The engine idled.
The change is familiar to anyone who has poured their life into a sport, a career, or any singular passion. The structure falls away, and the reflection that looks back at you in the morning can feel like a stranger.
"I had no idea what that day was going to do for me and my life," Mary says, thinking back to the day she first walked into a croquet club.
"It brought back everything I had in my younger days, the days I was competing with squash.
And it's not until I look in the mirror of the morning do I wonder where that old lady came from."
That feeling of disconnect between the fire you feel inside and the quiet life you now lead is a powerful and disorienting force. But for Mary, the answer wasn't to look back. It was to find a new arena.
She didn’t just find a new hobby in croquet; she found a new challenge.
It began with a spark of awe, watching a Queensland State Team Player execute a perfect jump shot. "I thought he was a genius," she says. "I thought, 'Oh my God. Fancy being able to do that.'" That moment led to another, watching a top-tier player, Peter Nicholson, dominate the lawn with effortless skill. It wasn’t just impressive; it was a call to Mary’s competitive side.
"He'd see a hoop, he'd just go for it, and through it would go sailing through," she recalls. "And I made a commitment to myself then. I wanna get that good. I wanna be able to do what he can do.”
In that moment, the competitor was reawakened.
The quiet of retirement was replaced by the sound of a mallet striking a ball, over and over. Croquet became more than a game; it became a craft to be honed, a puzzle to be solved. The mirror still showed the same face, but the feeling behind it had changed. The purpose was back.
"I have now a goal," she states with clarity. "I have a reason to practice."
That is the elegant solution that croquet offers. It is a sport that meets you where you are, but respects you enough to demand your full attention if you wish to improve. It gives back what you put in. For Mary, it gave back an identity she thought was in the past. It gave her the structure of practice, the thrill of competition, and the profound satisfaction of striving for a goal.
It gave her everything.
"I've got everything now that I had then," she concludes.
Mary's story resonates with anyone approaching retirement who misses the focus and fire of competition. Her journey proves that the desire to strive, to practice, and to win does not fade with time; it simply waits for a new arena.
Croquet is a tactical and technical challenge waiting to be met. The best way to understand its depth is to experience it for yourself.
Come and try croquet. Find a club near you and discover where your competitive journey can take you next.
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