Hi friends, we wanted to share a quick update with our Life Lessons from Pickleball™ community. We’ll still have a brand new episode for you on May 19, and after that we’ll be moving to an every-other-week summer schedule, with our next new episode on June 2. We’re looking forward to a lighter summer rhythm, and we hope you are too. And with more than 100 episodes already in our library, this is a wonderful time to catch up on any conversations you may have missed and revisit some of your fav...
May 12
1 min
How can pickleball open the door to new friendships, a whole new career path, and a fresh way to bring style, community, and opportunity into everyday life? In this episode, we talk with Lydia Hirt, a New York-based pickleball community builder, marketer, and creative voice who has helped grow the sport in exciting and meaningful ways. Lydia shares how she first discovered pickleball during the pandemic in Florida, playing with her family as their small pod, and how that one experience sparke...
May 5
28 min
How does a filmmaker from Bollywood become one of the key leaders helping grow pickleball across India, and what happens when a sport built on joy, inclusivity, and community begins changing lives across an entire country? In this episode, we talk with Suryaveer Singh Bhullar, president of the Indian Pickleball Association, about his remarkable journey from player to national leader in one of the fastest-growing pickleball movements in the world. Suryaveer first discovered pickleball during C...
Apr 28
26 min
How can pickleball create the kind of community where someone steps forward to save a life, even when that person was once nearly a stranger? In this deeply moving episode, Nikki Baker and Shari Murphree share an extraordinary story of compassion, courage, and the life-changing power of the pickleball community. Nikki, a retired FedEx leader, certified level two IPTPA instructor, coach, and passionate ambassador for the game, first found pickleball during COVID and quickly fell in love with i...
Apr 21
30 min
What happens when pickleball enters a maximum-security prison? In this powerful episode, John Coray shares how a simple invitation led him to bring pickleball into a Maine State Prison and how the sport has become a tool for connection, dignity, joy, and personal growth. What began as a lesson for a small group of residents has grown into an ongoing program where incarcerated men learn strategy, discipline, sportsmanship, and community through the game. John also talks about his work teaching...
Apr 14
34 min
What if pickleball could change an entire community and even a country? In this inspiring episode, we welcome Zacharie, a pioneer of pickleball in Rwanda who is transforming lives through the power of sport. What began as a chance discovery during COVID quickly became a mission that led Zacharie to build one of the first pickleball courts in Rwanda and grow the game from just a handful of players to a thriving movement. Zacharie shares how pickleball is helping reduce alcohol consumption, emp...
Apr 7
20 min
What if the only reason you played sports was because it was fun? Alice Tym’s story is a masterclass in courage, action, and joy. From starting a women’s tennis team at the University of Florida when none existed, to competing on the international tennis circuit and reaching a world ranking of 13, Alice has spent a lifetime creating opportunities where there were none. A Hall of Fame collegiate coach and founding member of U.S. Senior Pickleball, Alice continues to compete and win at the high...
Mar 31
30 min
What if pickleball became the one thing that carried you through cancer and then helped you change lives around the world? Mark Palm, founder of Samaritan Aviation, shares his incredible journey from mission pilot to USA Pickleball National Champion. After a cancer diagnosis, pickleball became his lifeline physically, mentally, and emotionally. Today, Mark is not only saving lives in remote villages in Papua New Guinea through life-saving flights, but also introducing pickleball to kids playi...
Mar 24
38 min
How does a lifelong racquet sports player turn a local need into one of the Pacific Northwest’s most exciting new indoor pickleball communities? In this episode, Randy Fuller, founding partner of Rally Pickleball Club in Auburn, Washington, shares how pickleball first came into his life, why the sport hooked him so quickly, and how four local entrepreneurs came together to create a vibrant indoor space for players of all ages and skill levels. Randy talks about his background in tennis, teach...
Mar 17
27 min
How can pickleball become a force for global good, community connection, and life-changing opportunity? In this episode, Susan “Dinker Bell” Swern shares her remarkable pickleball journey, from first discovering the game after years of tennis to founding the Pickleball for Good Fund, a nonprofit built on the belief that pickleball can create social impact far beyond the court. Susan talks about how the sport became more than a passion and turned into a calling, leading her to launch initiativ...
Mar 10
39 min
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