During a visit to Wimbledon two years ago, NASA astronaut Drew Feustel, his wife Indira and fellow astronaut Tim Peake forged a plan.
The three guests, along with the Chairman of the All England Club, Philip Brook, decided Commander Feustel should take a piece of Wimbledon into space.
This weekend that project comes to fruition when the astronaut and his wife deliver two very special coins that will be used during the traditional pre-match ceremonies ahead of the men’s and ladies’ singles finals.
The two bespoke gold coins travelled with the American to the International Space Station aboard Mission 56 last year but, thankfully, are now safely back on Earth ahead of the climax to this year’s Championships.
On Saturday and Sunday afternoon they will be handed over to the two youngsters chosen to help with the coin toss on Centre Court.
by flying something associated with the tournament we had the opportunity of drawing in other people from around the world that might not normally have an interest in space and space exploration
Once the project was given the green light in 2017, the coins were specially designed – they feature the Mission 56 logo on one side, and The Championships logo on the other – before being fired into space on Feustel’s six-month-long adventure.
“As astronauts we have the good fortune of taking things to space that are meaningful and things that connect us back to Earth,” the Commander said.
“With such a wonderful event that Wimbledon is and with the interest it gathers around the world, by flying something associated with the tournament we had the opportunity of drawing in other people from around the world that might not normally have an interest in space and space exploration.”
During the mission the Commander even encouraged the crew to try some zero-gravity tennis. The team set up a net on board and played over a series of weekends.
“It wasn’t without its challenges. Tennis is a lot different in space than it is on Earth but we managed to pull it off and have some fun.”
It wasn’t without its challenges. Tennis is a lot different in space than it is on Earth but we managed to pull it off and have some fun
On Saturday, 13-year-old Marni Johnson will collect the coin to be used before the ladies’ final between Serena Williams and Simona Halep. Marni will be representing Regenerate, an organisation that works with disadvantaged young people and families in nearby Roehampton and estates across London.
Twenty-four-hours later, 14-year-old Omar Popal will take centre stage when he flips the coin before the men's singles final. Omar will represent the Prince's Trust, which helps young people aged 11 to 30.
To support the story, a specially made short film – The Coin Toss – honours the coins’ journey and shows them travelling into space.
“The journey of the coins, as reflected in our new film, and the young people we select to perform the coin toss, symbolise our collective pursuit of greatness – and we are thrilled to be showcasing this amazing story for this year’s finals,” said Brook.
For the Commander’s wife, Indira, the project is especially significant.
“I’ve been a lifelong tennis player and I grew up in a tennis-playing family and we’ve been watching Wimbledon and all the major tournaments all our lives so this collaboration was very dear to our hearts,” she said.
“It’s such an incredible thrill, a dream come true for me. As a little girl I watched them all – Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Ivan Lendl, Jimmy Connors. To be part of the coin toss and the journey is wonderful.”