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Australia’s number one man on the squash court, Cameron Pilley is well known for his powerful serve. It helped him claim a gold medal at the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games; can it do the same at Glasgow 2014?
Who Am I?
Hailing from Yamba, New South Wales, Cameron Pilley is Australia’s no. 1 ranked squash player, and is currently ranked no. 20 in the world, with his highest career ranking – no. 11 – having been achieved in early 2011.
Regardless of what else Pilley achieves in his career, he will always have one thing he can hang his hat on, which is the world record for the fastest squash serve. He clocks in at 280km/h, head and shoulders above the rest.
To say Pilley was raised to play squash would be an understatement. He was hitting the ball around from the time he turned two, and won his first tournament at the ripe old age of six. His parents even bought the local squash club when he was eight! When he turned 18 he joined the Australian Institute of Sport on a long-term scholarship.
It’s not all about the squash court for Pilley though. He also enjoys a good game of backgammon or a round of golf, and is a diehard South Sydney Rabbitohs fan.
My Career
Pilley did the majority of his development at the Australian Institute of Sport from 2001-2005, training twice a day, six times a week. He has since moved overseas in an attempt to further his game, spending two years in England and now residing in the Netherlands, receiving world class tutelage.
Pilley has featured in a few medal-winning teams at the World Championships in his time, but his biggest achievements both came in 2010. Playing alongside Kasey Brown in the mixed doubles he claimed Commonwealth Gold at the Delhi 2010 games, and also in that year he won the Dutch Open, his first major success in singles.
That Video…
If you watch only a single video in the lead up to the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, you simply have to make it this one.
In a two-part feast for the eyes, Pilley shows off the immense power of his serving ability, against some rather unfortunate targets.
In the first section, Pilley’s brother Morgan volunteers to be the victim of Cam’s serve. Cam sends the squash ball straight into the middle of Morgan’s back and the results are immediately audible. When Morgan comes up to the camera and shows off his wound – well, let’s just say it’s not for the faint of heart. The original video went viral, clocking up more than half a million youtube views!
In the second section Pilley takes on a different target, and the results are even more devastating. Simply put, next time you need to cut up a watermelon, maybe you should consider using a squash ball and a 280 km/h serve.
Fast facts
Name: Cameron Pilley
Birthdate: 27 October, 1982
Event: Squash
Career Achievements:
– 2010 Dutch Open Winner
– Gold, Mixed Doubles, Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games
– Ranked World No. 11 in January, 2011
Twitter Followers: 3130
Instagram Followers: 570
Youtube Views: 568,401
Serving Speed: 280 km/h
Favourite Foods: Steak, Chinese Food, Chicken Parmigiana, Chocolate
This article was first published on the Tenplay website.