Meet the TTW Players: Penny Muil

With a passion for table tennis bestowed upon her by her father, Penny Muil is a talent who thrives off the table tennis community and the support within it.

An attacking player who first started playing at home before joining Bridgend TTC, Penny has rapidly developed into an exciting prospect in Welsh table tennis, accumulating silverware and representing her country.

A huge part of Penny’s love for the sport and success within it are the people around her.

“The table tennis community is very close,” she told us, “and I am very thankful that there are several players, coaches and parents from local clubs that are supportive of me and offer me advice when things are difficult, share in my successes and encourage me when I haven’t played as well as I had hoped.

“I draw inspiration from players that are close to me; there are several players and coaches – past and present – from the squad that I see as inspirational role models, from their determination in the face of difficulties, their dedication to training, their knowledge on the sport or their willingness to adapt to meet the needs of others.”

That inspiration has led Penny to success in recent months, with great ambitions driving her forward. We chatted to Penny about her fledgling career and where she’d like to end up.

What has been one of your most memorable victories to date?

“My most memorable achievement was from this year’s Nationals, where I won my first ever title in the Cadets, as well as placing second in the U19s and U21s.”

 How do you handle the pressure of these big events and representing Wales?

“Over the past 9 months, I have become better at managing pressure when playing matches, and part of that comes with time and experience; the other part is from the advice I have received from older players and the coaches.

“Some of the strategies I use to help me are taking towel breaks, not rushing my serves and using time-outs when I need them. I will also coach myself in between points and give myself pep talks.”

What challenging moments have you faced in your career?

“I have been through times where I haven’t enjoyed playing table tennis, I wanted to quit, and I was really struggling with all aspects of the game.

“Although they may not know it, some of the older members of the squad helped me to get through it. One of the girls noticed I was not coping well and gave me a stern talking to, which really helped me feel more focused; I also noticed some of the other players had times when they struggled but they didn’t give up, they kept on fighting and progressing and I was inspired to be like them.”

What advice would you give to anyone aspiring to represent Wales and get to your level?

“Surround yourself with a good support network and don’t wait for motivation to hit you to train.

“Action often leads to motivation, and while it can sometimes take a while, all of your efforts do pay off, and you will start to see results, so do not give up!”

What do you want to achieve, what are your goals in table tennis?

“My shorter-term goals, for the next 5 years, would be to get into Europe and to be somewhere in the top 50 in my age category.

“If I could get into the top 20 that would be amazing, but I’ll aim for the top 50 first!”