Calvert’s Comeback Is Laced with Gold

Palisadian Lee Calvert returned from Florida last Sunday after two straight weeks of competition feeling as fresh and young as she ever has. She also returned with four more gold medals around her neck after winning every event she entered at both the Canadian Open and the United States National Badminton tournaments. Though one of the top badminton players in her age group in North America, Calvert was hesitant to compete this year, having played little since undergoing hip surgery in February 2003. But even though she didn’t get near a court for six months, Calvert was rehabilitating herself and staying in shape through swimming, therapy and pilates. She began drilling a month before leaving for Vancouver and the little bit of practice she got proved valuable. ‘It just goes to show that if you really want to do something, you can,’ Calvert said. ‘I thought I wouldn’t be ready to play singles in Canada. I actually considered defaulting, but in the end I decided to give it a try.’ Competing in the women’s 75-and-over division, Calvert beat Dorothy Tinline 11-9, 11-9 to win the singles championship and teamed with Dick Wittle of St. Louis to win the 75-and-over mixed doubles gold medal, beating defending champions Jack Harvey of Washington and Helen Nethercutt of Canada, 15-8, 15-12, in the finals. The Canadian Open competition, which consisted of 325 athletes ranging in age from 35 to 80, ended April 25 and as soon as it ended, Calvert was on a plane for Miami Lakes, Florida, to compete in the U.S. Senior Nationals. There, she beat three ladies in round robin to win the 75-and-over singles gold medal. At first, she struggled to find her game after nearly a year of inactivity. But it came back to her quickly and her superior conditioning carried her through a pair of three-game matches. First Calvert beat Betty Thompson of Oregon, last year’s champion, 6-11, 11-0, 11-3. Next, she beat Virginia Anderson of St. Louis, 11-13, 11-9, 11-4. For the gold, Calvert beat Glyfy Ennis of Massachusetts, 11-3, 11-4. In mixed doubles, Calvert played with James Bosco of Santa Cruz and they defeated the defending champions in two straight games to give Calvert her fourth gold medal in two weeks.