When table tennis player Sharon Yardy suffered a serious knee injury while playing at her local club, it ended up a very costly experience.

Sharon slipped on the leg of a partition between courts and tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in one of her knees.

Not being a member of Table Tennis England or having her own personal accident insurance in place meant she was not covered for the costs she incurred.

Now Sharon would like to share her experiences to help raise awareness of the importance of personal accident insurance, which is included in paid Table Tennis England membership (Compete and Compete Plus categories).

She is urging club players who are not paid members of Table Tennis England to consider taking out membership in order to benefit from the cover, at a fraction of what it would cost to arrange individually.

Sharon said: “I’ve been a table tennis player on and off since I was young and my dad has previously played in his local league, but unfortunately I’ve never been a member of Table Tennis England as I’ve always played lots of sports, but table tennis has not been my main focus.

“The fall I had in September last year resulted in me having to take months off work, as I normally work outside, and having to source home-based work.

“I had surgery on my knee in November and had a long rehab process. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any personal accident or private medical insurance, so it has been a very costly experience, especially as I’m self-employed.

“I’m sharing my experiences to try and prevent this happening to other players or to make sure they are better prepared if it does.”

We all hope we never need insurance but sometimes accidents can happen – Table Tennis England membership provides that peace of mind to know that, for just a few pounds a year, you are covered in the event of something happening.

To find out more about our membership options, click here.