16 January 2017 | Beth Johnstone

83-year-old Tennis ACT volunteer Jane Reynolds [left] is proudly giving back to the Canberra tennis community.

As the most senior member of the volunteer team, the East Hotel Canberra Challenger 2017 is the second year Jane from Watson has volunteered at the award winning tournament. Pictured with fellow volunteer Anne Haycock, Jane has enjoyed every minute of the experience and didn’t miss a single day.

“Everyone [at the tournament] is very supportive,” Jane said. “It’s a very nice experience.”

“You see the players as well as assisting with the drinks and clean towels and anything else they need. It’s interesting, and there’s a good team spirit. You get to know all the other people. It’s very enjoyable.”

A big tennis fan, Jane has been a member of the newly refurbished Canberra Tennis Centre in Lyneham for 15 years, where she plays three times a week and sometimes on a Sunday – if it’s not too hot.

“We have a veteran team. I’m one of the oldest,” she said. “If you’re over 80 we call ourselves the OBE’s – Over Bloody Eighties.”

Growing up in England, Jane was a big hockey fan, exploring her love of tennis after immigrating to Australia in 2002.

“As you get older [hockey is] a bit strenuous, so tennis is a good game when you’re getting older,” she said.

Winning the Minister for Sport & Recreation’s Award for Event Excellence at the 2016 CBR Sport Awards, it’s no wonder volunteers like Jane enjoy the experience and return to the events in Lyneham each year.

“I’ll go on as long as I can,” Jane said. “I may hang up the tennis racquet in a few years’ time but so far I’m all right.”

Upcoming tournaments and volunteer opportunities can be found on the Tennis Australia website.