Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

The Commonwealth Games through the eyes of a mother

David Beck
By David Beck
Multimedia sports journalist·Rotorua Daily Post·
13 Apr, 2018 11:30 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Amanda Landers-Murphy in full flight against England's Laura Massaro during the squash women's singles at the Commonwealth Games. Photo / Getty Images

Amanda Landers-Murphy in full flight against England's Laura Massaro during the squash women's singles at the Commonwealth Games. Photo / Getty Images

Competing at the Commonwealth Games comes with a great deal of pressure and stress. Emotions run high as four years of hard work come to fruition and that is not just for the athletes.

In most cases the athletes have loved ones in the stands, on the sidelines or watching from home who are just as, if not more, invested than the players themselves.

They have seen the hours upon hours the athlete has put into their sport and, for the parents, there is still that ingrained desire to protect their child from harm. They are desperate to see the athlete they have raised enjoy success and avoid disappointment.

While Rotorua's Amanda Landers-Murphy has been competing in the squash singles, mixed doubles and women's doubles at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast this week, her family have been in the stands living and breathing every moment with her.

Her mother Delwyn Murphy confessed she struggled to watch at times.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It's very nerve-racking for me. When it's a close game I sometimes can't look, I have been known to walk away because I just can't watch the last few points. I love it when it's a pretty clear-cut game either way," Murphy said.

Rotorua's Amanda Landers-Murphy (centre) with her Commonwealth Games support team, her brother Blair Landers (left), step-dad Mike Murphy and mum Delwyn Murphy. Photo / Supplied
Rotorua's Amanda Landers-Murphy (centre) with her Commonwealth Games support team, her brother Blair Landers (left), step-dad Mike Murphy and mum Delwyn Murphy. Photo / Supplied

She said she never imagined she would be on the Gold Coast watching her daughter play squash in the Commonwealth Games, especially considering Amanda played representative hockey until she was 13. However, she started making New Zealand Squash development squads her focus shifted. The rest is history.

Her step-dad Mike Murphy coached her throughout her youth. Delwyn said the pair would head straight to the courts after school every day, only coming home for dinner.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We're extremely proud of her. We've always been there to help her get where she wants and as she's gotten older she's needed less. We're just here for mental and morale support now, which is great.

"As a mum you see them go through all the highs and lows. It's a tough life [being an athlete], people see all the travel she does and think 'what an awesome life', but it's so hard because she's there on her own and you have to be the sort of person to do that. It does catch up at times, she's more of a homebody, but that's when the phone calls happen.

"It can be hard if she's overseas, having a tough time and I'm not there. I think as a mother it doesn't change - whether they're totally dependent on you as a 2-year-old or totally independent of you as a 26-year-old, once a mum, always a mum," she said.

Landers-Murphy was knocked out of the singles in the round of 16 while her and mixed doubles partner Zac Millar showed they could be a duo to watch out for in future with some solid performances before being knocked out in the round of 16.

Discover more

Landers-Murphy aims for medal at Gold Coast games

09 Feb 07:00 PM

Taupo's van der Kaay seventh in triathlon

05 Apr 01:03 AM

Tough hour for Rotorua's Landers-Murphy

10 Apr 03:53 AM

Landers-Murphy in action today

11 Apr 10:52 PM

In the women's doubles, she and singles gold medal winner Joelle King are the top seeds. They play in the semifinals at 4pm today,after beating England in their quarter-final yesterday.Delwyn Murphy said the New Zealand players had a tough draw at the Commonwealth games and had justifiably started slowly, but were warming into the doubles competition.

"Joelle came straight into the doubles the day after her singles gold medal match, so they didn't have a lot of time together and started a bit scratchy. But they've certainly improved as the tournament has gone on."

She said, squash achievements aside, she was most proud of the way her daughter had grown as a person throughout her time playing squash, being fiercely competitive but never letting it compromise her desire to be a good person.

"She's always been an awesome kid, but she's turned into a great young lady."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Premium
Rotorua Daily PostUpdated

202-home project advances despite financial woes for developer's companies

22 May 08:43 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

'Going to be a lot harder': Best Start payment shifts spark concern among new parents

22 May 08:00 PM
Premium
Rotorua Daily Post

KiwiSaver changes 'a burden' for small businesses and self-employed

22 May 08:00 PM

The Hire A Hubby hero turning handyman stereotypes on their head

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Premium
202-home project advances despite financial woes for developer's companies

202-home project advances despite financial woes for developer's companies

22 May 08:43 PM

The Government partnered with Watchman Capital; funding is reportedly solid.

'Going to be a lot harder': Best Start payment shifts spark concern among new parents

'Going to be a lot harder': Best Start payment shifts spark concern among new parents

22 May 08:00 PM
Premium
KiwiSaver changes 'a burden' for small businesses and self-employed

KiwiSaver changes 'a burden' for small businesses and self-employed

22 May 08:00 PM
Supercars locked in at Taupō, set for South Island debut

Supercars locked in at Taupō, set for South Island debut

22 May 07:18 PM
Gold demand soars amid global turmoil
sponsored

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search