Earlier this year at the European Men’s and Women’s Team Championships in Liévin, France, the Germany ladies kept up will tradition and featured on the podium, but a few new young faces caught the eye. 

Amongst the team winning silver in February, Miranda Wilson made her first steps at the senior level. Introducing herself to the badminton world, she says. 

- I’m a young badminton player from Germany, living and training in Mülheim, recently turned 20; chasing and living my dreams in and out of the sport.

Wilson has an Australian mother but has lived in Germany all her life. Growing up there she came across and took up badminton. Explaining in more detail how her interest began, she adds. 

- My dad played badminton for fun in a club for many years. He then stopped for quite a while, when he resumed his badminton I was interested and went with him very often. The game somehow caught my interest, I started playing and haven´t stopped playing since. 

Read: Anne Tran: I found my motivation again

I just love the sport

Wilson is also a keen musician, with her instrument of choice being the violin. Explaining why she had not chosen to go full-time into music, she responds. 

- Good question. If I could I´d be doing both I would, but I guess music is something you have all your life regardless of your age. In sports that´s different. But apart from that I just love the sport, so I chose that path.

Wilson at the moment is ranked 158 in the world in women’s singles and has her whole career in front of her. But reflecting on what has been her biggest moment in badminton she says.

- If I think of one moment, then it´s winning silver with the ladies’ team at the Europeans this year in February. It was my first European senior championships, so as a ‘rookie’ I had a really good experience. The team feeling was great, definitely something special compared to all the regular individual tournaments throughout the year.

Wilson is in the German Army as a sports soldier, so can train badminton full-time. In addition, she is also studying part-time for my bachelor’s degree in nutritional science at a university. A busy young lady, but certainly one to keep an eye in for years to come.