MADISON, Wis. – Charmaine Seah is one of two freshman tennis players on the Wisconsin team this year. Coming from her home country of Singapore, Seah talks about how the University of Wisconsin attracted her right away because of the academics, but she soon fell in love with the tennis program.
Seah has been playing tennis since the age of seven. She started out in recreational leagues over the weekend and in her words, "I just grew to like it."
Like any young tennis player growing up, she says she has two special people that have pushed her along the way in the tennis world to where she is today.
"My parents have definitely been my biggest fans throughout the years, supporting me in my decision to play tennis competitively, and just being a part of my journey all the way till college."
Her journey all the way until college playing for Badgers. That journey from being seven years old in Singapore, playing tennis, all the way to now in Wisconsin holds some of Seah's favorite memories according to her.
"My favorite memory would be winning a match from one set down, against a girl who no one thought I would beat. The match was almost four hours long, and was very physically demanding. The feeling of victory was so sweet because it made all the suffering during the match worth it."
A quality of resilience that head coach
Kelcy McKenna saw as a great addition to this year's Badger squad.
In her decision to come to UW, Seah says, "The amount of support given to student-athletes in this school is unparalleled, and I am very honored to be given the opportunity to train and compete at such a high level, all while obtaining an education at a world renowned university."
Seah is currently undeclared in her studies at UW as a freshman, but hopes to be accepted into the Wisconsin School of Business in the near future.
While also getting acclimated to the college lifestyle as a student, Seah excelled during her first semester of college tennis. With six singles wins on the fall season, she sits tied for a team high wins during the fall. Seah says that playing doubles as often as she has is still new to her and one of her goals for spring is to sharpen her serve and volleys.
As for what it means to her to be a Badger after getting her first experiences as one, Seah says, "Being a Badger has brought me so many new learning experiences and opportunities, and I hope that I can do my school proud by performing well."
Seah says when she's not competing in tennis she loves listening to music and cycling. She hopes to be able to tie all of her life experiences and her future journey at Wisconsin together and says if she were to write an autobiography about herself it would be entitled, "Third Time's the Charm."
