Catherine Parenteau and her coach (and wife) Athena Trouillot join Pickleballers for a wide-open conversation about love, pressure, and what it takes to sustain greatness. Catherine walks us through her journey from Montreal tennis prodigy to pickleball star: the early days with Simone Jardim, the US Open win that changed her trajectory, going full-time on tour, and the realities of splitting with Anna Leigh Waters after a dominant run.

Athena shares the story from her side—how their relationship began, why coaching your spouse is both tricky and rewarding, and how they’ve built a small team and brand around Catherine’s career. We also get into mindset, handling recency bias, future family plans, and what life might look like after pro pickleball.

If you enjoy behind-the-scenes stories from the top of the sport, competing mindsets, and practical takeaways on building a career in pickleball, this one’s a must-watch.

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1:21 Intro

1:54 Growing up in Montreal and falling in love with sports

2:58 College tennis journey: Arkansas to Michigan State

4:56 The first time Catherine tried pickleball

6:54 Inside Michigan’s early pickleball scene

8:26 Tough college days

10:05 Athena’s story and background

11:21 Forced doubles partners turned best friends

14:12 Shoulder injuries that led Catherine to pickleball

15:21 How their relationship really began

19:13 Eleven years strong as partners on and off court

22:08 Catherine’s unstoppable drive to compete

25:03 Living to train, staying balanced, and planning for a family

27:02 From small local events to big prize money

28:13 The PPA letter that changed everything

30:05 Balancing coaching, sponsorships, and full-time play

31:17 Going all-in as a professional pickleball player

32:14 Building a brand and growing a following

34:16 The US Open breakthrough win

37:23 Dominating singles and claiming her first PPA title

38:23 Tennis roots in pickleball

40:01 The Nationals controversy and public backlash

47:02 Parting ways with Anna Leigh Waters

49:32 The electric MLP Dallas dreambreaker moment

53:04 How marriage and coaching mix on tour

56:01 Handling pressure, perspective, and recency bias

57:30 Life beyond pickleball – animals, purpose, and what’s next