Laura Rieveley is co-founder and chief marketing officer at Smartvisit, a platform and mobile app used by tourism operators. She lives in Jamberoo, NSW.

How did you start playing tennis?
During COVID, a few friends and I were suffering from a partial or total decline in business, and we decided we’d play tennis every Friday morning for some fun. Those Friday sessions quickly became a crucial part of maintaining our mental wellbeing. They gave us an opportunity to stay connected and keep morale high in what was otherwise a very uncertain time. We weren’t exactly the most skilled players, but it didn’t matter: the laughter, fresh air and camaraderie were what kept us coming back. In many ways, tennis became a small but powerful way to bring a sense of normalcy back into our lives when we needed it most.