ITF

08 ITFWorld // SPRING 2018 P R O F I L E At one of the Evonne Goolagong Foundation's Indigenous Tennis Come & Try Days in 2014 Back then, the sheep shearer's daughter was agog to learn that this mystical 'Wimbledon' was fabulously real. "So every time I hit the ball against the wall with an apple-crate board, which is how I started, I used to pretend that I was on that magical centre court, and every time I went to sleep at night I would dream of playing on that magical centre court, and so that became my dream. "My first dream. I'm living my second dream, which is working with all these indigenous kids all around Australia. I want to do the same thing as the townspeople of Barellan did for me." Thus, where the Goolagong legend started is where it inevitably returns: to the fact the local townspeople "took a hat around" to raise the funds to transport young Evonne to country tournaments, and later, to send her to faraway Sydney. For the clothes, suitcase and rackets she needed when leaving home to live with the family of her coach, Vic Edwards, at the age of 14. "Getting these awards, I'm still walking around in a daze – all because just by doing the thing I really love doing," smiles Goolagong Cawley, a former Australian of the Year who in January was made a Companion in the Order of Australia, the country's highest honour. In June she will receive the Philippe Chatrier Award, the ITF's highest accolade given for exceptional contributions to tennis both on and off court. "Really, my career is about giving back – doing the same thing that the townspeople did for me." Evonne on her way to her second Wimbledon title in 1980

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