Halifax sisters Afia and Lani Campion both ranked No.1 in England

Anna Fawthrop
Pilates Coach

ABOUT ANNA

Anna has been passionate about health and fitness since her teenage years and brings over 26 years of experience to her classes. After gaining her Exercise to Music (E.T.M.) qualification, she went on to complete additional fitness certifications before discovering her true passion - Mat Pilates.

Having taught with Calderdale Leisure at both North Bridge Leisure Centre and Halifax Swimming Pool, Anna has helped people of all ages and abilities improve their strength, flexibility, posture and overall wellbeing. She believes Pilates is one of the most effective forms of exercise for everyone, regardless of age or fitness level.

Pilates is also an excellent complement to Queens racket sports - tennis, squash, racketball and pickleball, helping to improve core strength, balance, flexibility and mobility while enhancing performance and reducing the risk of injury. Anna's supportive and welcoming teaching style ensures everyone feels confident, whether you're new to Pilates, looking to improve your game, or simply wanting to move and feel better every day.

David Campion
Squash Coach
(Former England National Coach)

ABOUT DAVID

David Campion is one of England's most accomplished squash coaches and is proud to be based at Queen's. A former England National Coach, David spent over 20 years with England Squash, leading national teams and elite players to success on the European, World, and Commonwealth stages.

Throughout his coaching career, David guided five England teams to World Championship titles and coached numerous players to Commonwealth Games gold medals across five editions of the Games. His expertise, leadership, and commitment to player development have earned him widespread recognition as one of the sport's leading coaches.

Before moving into coaching, David was an outstanding player with a highly promising career. He reached the final of the World Junior Championships at just 18 years of age and later won the British Open Over-35 Championship in 2008. An injury unfortunately brought his professional playing career to an early end at the age of 21, but it paved the way for an exceptional coaching career.

David became Head Coach at Queen's in 1995 before joining England Squash five years later. He continues to coach at Queen's, where England's leading players regularly train under his guidance, including his brother, former World No. 1 James Willstrop.

In recognition of his outstanding contribution to both the club and the sport, David has been awarded Honorary Membership at Queen's. His wealth of experience, technical expertise, and passion for developing players continue to inspire squash players of all ages and abilities.

Sarah Campion
Head Squash Coach

Email: sarahkippax@yahoo.co.uk
Tel: 07968 323980

ABOUT SARAH

Sarah Campion (née Kippax) is a former professional squash player and Head Coach at Queen's, bringing over 25 years of coaching experience and a distinguished international playing career to the club.

Competing on the PSA World Tour for more than a decade, Sarah won 10 World Tour titles, reached a career-high world ranking of No. 15, and represented England on 46 occasions. Her achievements include winning two European Team Championship gold medals, two World Team Championship silver medals, and representing England at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi and the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. More recently, she added the Over-35 British Championship title to her list of honours.

Originally from Cheshire, Sarah trained at Queen's throughout her professional career and has been the club's Head Coach since 2017. She is passionate about creating an inclusive coaching environment where players of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds can enjoy and thrive in squash and racketball.

Sarah has coached players ranging from toddlers to adults in their seventies, from complete beginners to professional athletes, as well as individuals with physical disabilities and additional needs. She believes there should be no barriers to participation and has been instrumental in developing programmes that make the sport accessible to everyone.
Under Sarah's leadership, the Queen's junior programme provides a clear pathway for players at every stage of their development, whether playing recreationally or competitively. While enjoyment is at the heart of every session, the programme also promotes disciplined practice, healthy competition, and strong sporting values. Many former academy players have gone on to become coaches and mentors themselves, helping to build a supportive and sustainable coaching culture.

Sarah is proud to lead a dedicated team of coaches and volunteers who have helped create the vibrant, welcoming, and inclusive squash community at Queen's. For her, the greatest reward is seeing players develop their confidence, improve their skills, and discover a lifelong love of the game.

For those who missed the Q&A re: the fire.

Claim liability has been accepted by the insurer.

The extent of the fire for those who don't know is quite significant. The men's changing rooms, old sauna and showers are all completely gutted. Further damage to the walls / ceilings / supports.

Electrics and water systems disabled. Significant smoke damage throughout the club rendering squash courts and some gym equipment unusable.

We are working to ensure the club is back up and running as soon as possible

We are pressing for Dean Anderson to be appointed as main contractor due to:

Speed
Cost
Quality is known to us

The 'rip out' scope and contractor is broadly agreed and will start within the next week or 2.

Once that is done we will have a better understanding of any further issues and should be able to offer a timeline for full recovery.

The membership offer we previously sent out is part of the recovery scope.

Tennis and pickleball are running and active.

Squash is being hosted at Huddersfield by Sarah when possible and other clubs have offered court fees only for our squash members.

There are some gym classes being held on the indoor courts.

Investigations into partnering with another gym temporarily are ongoing. None suitable found to date.

These things don't move as fast as we would like. The delays are not on our end. We have provided everything required thus far.

As soon as we have more detailed information this will be shared.

We appreciate your continued loyalty and support.

Regards

Your committee

Two young Halifax squash players have achieved a remarkable family double after both being
ranked No.1 in England in their respective age categories.
Sisters Afia Campion and Lani Campion, who play and train at Queens Sport & Fitness in
Halifax, are currently ranked No.1 in England in the Girls Under 11 and Girls Under 9 categories
respectively.
The achievement is made even more remarkable by the fact the two young players are sisters –
and squash very much runs in the Campion family.
Afia and Lani are the daughters of David & Sarah Campion. David is the former England
National Coach, and Sarah is Head Coach at Queens Sport & Fitness and a former professional
squash player who reached a career-high world ranking of No.15.
During a professional career spanning more than a decade on the PSA World Tour, Sarah won
10 World Tour titles and represented England 46 times. Her international achievements include
two European Team Championship gold medals, two World Team Championship silver medals
and representing England at both the Delhi 2010 and Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Sarah trained at Queens throughout her own professional career and has been the club’s Head
Coach since 2017.
Now, the next generation of the Campion family is making its mark on the sport.
Having two sisters simultaneously sitting at the top of the England rankings in separate junior
age categories is a fantastic achievement for the family and an incredibly proud moment for
everyone at Queens.
The news comes at an exciting time for the historic Halifax club, which has recently reopened
following an extensive rebuild after a devastating fire.
As Queens begins its next chapter, developing and rebuilding its junior sections is a major focus
for the club – and the success of Afia and Lani provides an inspiring example of the young
sporting talent already developing on its courts.
Sarah Campion said:

“We have some fantastic young players coming through at Queens, and I’m delighted that,
following the club’s reopening, we can now begin rebuilding and growing our junior squash
programme.
Squash is a brilliant sport for children of all abilities — it’s fun, fast-paced and active, while
helping young people develop confidence, resilience, with a real sense of community. We love
getting children onto court from an early age, and with a development pathway that spans age 2
to 18, there is a place for everyone, whether simply playing for fun or aspiring to compete at the
highest level.
Afia and Lani have made some wonderful friendships through their squash journey, and we
couldn’t be prouder of them both. We hope their achievements will inspire more local children
and families to discover squash, make new friends and see where the sport can take them.”
Every England No.1 has to start somewhere – and Queens is hoping the next generation of
players could be starting their journey in Halifax right now.
Parents interested in finding out more about junior squash, coaching and the opportunities
available at Queens can email: squash@queenssportsclub.co.uk visit: queenssportsclub.co.uk
and follow Queens Sport & Fitness on Instagram @queens_sport_and_fitness_club