Ella Willson (tennis player)
| Ella Willson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1899 England |
| Years in Thunder Bay | 1920–at least 1970 |
Ella Willson (born 1899) was a long-tenured tennis player who dominated regional competitions in Northwestern Ontario for over four decades. Ella Willson was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1986 as an athlete.[1]
Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame
Ella Willson was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame on 27 September 1986 in the athlete category for tennis, representing Fort William.[1]
Career
Born in England, Ella Willson moved to Fort William in 1920. She immigrated to Canada alongside her husband, Walter Thomas Willson, who had served as a soldier during the First World War. Shortly after her arrival, she began participating in local Tennis competitions, establishing a period of athletic dominance that lasted for more than 40 years.[1]
Her competitive success began in 1926 when she secured the ladies' singles title at the Fort William Tennis Club Championships. She earned the same title again in 1929 and expanded her success to the regional level in 1931 by winning at the New Ontario Tennis Championships. Throughout her career, she accumulated a total of 50 titles between these two specific tournaments. On five separate occasions, she achieved a clean sweep by winning every event she entered. The final time she accomplished this feat was in 1964 at the age of 65. Her competitive career extended into her seventies; in 1970, at age 71, she partnered with Sandra Catarello to win a doubles title against the reigning champions.[1]
Willson often competed alongside her son, Dick Willson, who became an accomplished player in his own right. The mother and son duo captured the mixed doubles title at the New Ontario Tennis Championships seven times between 1950 and 1958. Her son continued the family's sporting legacy by winning numerous men's singles and doubles championships in subsequent years.[1]
Residence in the Thunder Bay area (1920–at least 1970) rests on the following dated evidence. She arrived in Fort William in 1920 and competed in local and regional tennis championships there until winning her last title in 1970.[1]
Honours and achievements
- Won 50 total titles between the Fort William Tennis Club Championships and the New Ontario Tennis Championships
- Won every event entered in a single tournament on five different occasions
- Captured the Fort William Tennis Club ladies' singles title in 1926 and 1929
- Won the New Ontario Tennis Championships regional title in 1931
- Won seven mixed doubles titles at the New Ontario Tennis Championships between 1950 and 1958
- Swept all eligible events at a tournament in 1964 at the age of 65
- Won a final championship title in 1970 at the age of 71[1]
Family
- Walter Thomas Willson, a husband: First World War soldier
- Dick Willson, a son: Tennis partner and multi-title winner[1]
- Possibly the same as Ella Willson (died 1984); the name is identical, but too little is shared to merge the pages.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "Ella Willson", athlete profile, Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, https://www.nwosportshalloffame.com/athlete-profile/ad4e0d26-6d7d-4541-8000-ff83c2399b62 (accessed 31 October 2026). Archived copy on datum.locker.