The council still sponsors David, allowing her to travel with her coach and physical therapist to international tournaments. Endorsements back home and prize money also help her maintain a demanding lifestyle.

“I think what this sport gives, you can’t find anywhere else,” David said. “Nothing can match the high of competing and playing for your life on the court. You have to be in it to know it. Being out there and playing your heart out. All the prep and training goes into one great performance and tournament. That’s what you strive for.”

Grand Central is certainly one of the more unusual venues for the Professional Squash Association’s world tour. The 10,000-pound portable court is set up in Vanderbilt Hall for about nine days. The court is so close to the 42nd Street entrance that outside weather conditions directly affect the speed of play.

“It depends on the cold, on humidity,” David said. “Every day could be different. Today is warmer; everybody is sweating. The last few years it was very cold, the ball was hard and didn’t travel as much. You had to hit it very hard and adapt.”

The pro squash tour staged a major outdoor championship last fall adjacent to the pyramids in Egypt, a country where the sport has taken off. David snapped photos of the pyramids on her way to matches so she could later remind herself of the surreal experience.