In our 10 Most Influential Women in Pickleball series, our ninth guest is APP star, Megan Fudge. Megan is not only an incredible pickleball player with top rankings in all three events on the APP Tour, but she is also a wife to professional pickleball player Ryler DeHeart, and a mother to their two children, Lily and JR. Megan grew up in Germany, where she began her tennis career. At age 15 she left Germany to attend Millfield School, a sports boarding school in England, where her competitiveness and discipline grew. From here she was recruited to play college tennis at University of Illinois, where she met her husband Ryler. Looking for a way to relive their love for tennis, Megan and Ryler first started playing pickleball as a fun activity for them to do together, but quickly learned they could compete professionally. They are famously known for traveling across the country in their RV with their two children, where they also balance homeschooling. Megan has been one of the most influential players in the expansion of pickleball internationally, traveling to over 5 countries for tournaments just last year. She is one of the most inspirational players in pickleball, striving to get 1% better each day. We loved chatting everything pickleball this episode. Be sure to keep up with everything Megan Fudge is doing on her blog! Talk Pickle To Me 👅

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In our 10 Most Influential Women in Pickleball series, our eighth guest is sports businesswoman, Anne Worcester. Anne was the first and youngest female CEO of any major sports organization, the tournament director of the Connecticut Open for 20 years, President of Universal Tennis, and is now the strategic advisor for UPA (MLP & PPA). Anne attributes much of her success to her parents, who instilled mid-western values of culture and gratitude into their family at a young age. Although tennis was a key component of Anne’s childhood, with eyes set on Duke University, she decided to leave the court behind and attend her dream university and major in economics. While at Duke, Anne worked vigorously with the student union to host a variety of events, which lead to her connection at IMG. From here, Anne worked her way up the corporate ladder, landing the position of CEO at WTA. Anne is such a wonderful inspiration to women in sports, and with her mentorship, I believe she will continue to elevate women in sports. Thank you Anne for being a cup of sunshine and teaching us to not sweat the little stuff. Get ready for an inspirational and heartfelt episode of Talk Pickle To Me 👅

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In our 10 Most Influential Women in Pickleball series, our seventh guest is one of the best pro pickleball players in the world and an absolute fan favorite, Anna Bright. Anna was the #2 tennis recruit in the nation for tennis out of high school, valedictorian of her class, and completed high school a year early. Anna took her talents to Cal Berkeley where she played D1 tennis and double majored in Business Admin and Data Science. Post-grad, Anna decided to embark on an ambitious journey, hiking the Pacific Crest Trail solo, which totals over 2,600 miles and is the inspiration behind her infamous leg tattoo. Fast forward a year later and Anna became pickleball obsessed, taking the pro-world by storm. She is now ranked third overall in both mixed and women’s doubles, alongside Girlie #2 Miss Rachel Rohrabacher. She is a fierce competitor, a chronic overachiever and has a heart of gold. Did we mention she is hilarious? Kaitlyn asks Anna her goals for her future, who she will partner up with in mixed, if she would leave Rachel for ALW, and will she apply to be the next Bachelorette?! You are going to love this episode!! Talk Pickle To Me 👅

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In our 10 Most Influential Women in Pickleball series, our sixth guest is with the badass businesswoman and professional pickleball player, Jill Braverman. Growing up in a one sport family with two older sisters, Jill quickly learned competitive edge. Attending Pepperdine University at just 16 years old, Jill double majored in Spanish and Marketing, finished top in her class, and was the first student-athlete from the university to study abroad. Her success did not end in the classroom, though. Jill has one of the most impressive and expansive resumes, including:  Chief of Commercial at UTR, CEO of DUPR, Chief of Staff at MLP, model, and professional pickleball player, just to name a few. Jill’s infatuation with the unknown and ability to succeed in anything that she puts her mind to is truly admirable. Now, as a professional pickleball player, Jill is taking action, both mentally and physically, to become the best version of herself. Jill harped on her gratefulness to have an unforeseen 2nd athletic career at age 35, which has given her the ability to speak the truth, as playing a pro sport is “just gravy.” Jill recently had a tweet that went absolutely VIRAL- she spoke out against UPA’s “emergency bridge loan” and her thoughts around the state of entity. We get her unfiltered thoughts on the controversy and clarification behind her “dropout” in mixed during Masters. If you want entertainment, you came to the right podcast!! Talk Pickle To Me 👅

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In our 10 Most Influential Women in Pickle series, our fifth guest is PPA Tour O.G., Hannah Johns. From teaching English overseas in Prague, interviewing players on the PPA Tour, opening her own pickleball club, and now being Senior Chief Editor of pickleball.com (http://pickleball.com), Hannah is the ultimate jack of all trades. Coming from an unorthodox upbringing in Maryland, Hannah is one of seven homeschooled children who make up the infamous pickleball family (her brother, Ben Johns, is the #1 professional pickleball player in the world!). Joining the PPA as the third employee, Hannah shares insight as to what it was like to be a part of a start up and what it took to grow the tour into what it is today. It is no doubt that Hannah’s determination and competitive edge, along with her infectious smile and joyful personality, have brought her this far in her career, and will continue to excel her in the years to come. Talk Pickle To Me 👅

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In our 10 Most Influential Women in Pickleball series, our third guest is pickleball businesswoman, Jenny Klitch. Jenny is a former professional Tennis player, seasoned sports lawyer, previous MLP Commissioner, former SVP of pro player relations and competition at the APP Tour. She is also a wife and mother of three children. Raised in Columbus, Ohio, Jenny learned from an early age to never limit her potential or put herself in a box, which has transpired to her successful career on and off the court. In this episode Jenny touches on finding value outside of pro sports, what a fair and credible tour structure looks like, and the future of the game. It was an honor to speak to someone who is truly passionate about growing the sport and helping the players. You might want to take notes for this one! Talk Pickle To Me 👅

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In our 10 Most Influential Women in Pickle series, our third guest is the GOAT, Simone Jardim. Simone is an All-American College Tennis athlete, a coach, one of the most decorated pro pickleball players of all time, and an inductee to the pickleball hall of fame. Simone is also a wife, mother of 2 kids and MANY animals! Kaitlyn sits down with Simone to dive deep into Simone’s life- growing up in Brazil, transitioning to college in the south, becoming a wife and mother, coaching tennis at the collegiate level, the decision to transition to play professional pickleball and now, the slow life on a farm in Nashville. It was a pleasure to speak with Simone and learn from one of the female trailblazers in the sport! Talk Pickle To Me 👅

Listen on Youtube: https://youtu.be/9vSIctajTbs

In our 10 Most Influential Women in Pickleball series, our second guest is Sarah Carpenter. Sarah is the Lead Data Scientist at DUPR and getting her PHD. She is the brains behind the algorithm! Kaitlyn asks Sarah the questions that all amateur players want to know- how can you raise your DUPR, why isn’t DUPR broken out by age, why aren’t gender doubles and mixed doubles separate ratings, and so much more. We learn about how the DUPR algorithm works and the update coming soon that will effect your DUPR! This is an episode you don’t want to miss! Talk Pickle To Me 👅

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In our 10 Most Influential Women in Pickle series, our first guest is the one and only Julie Johnson, a mother & coach to two of the best professional pickleball players in the world- JW Johnson and Jorja Johnson, a coach to the 2024 MLP Champions, the Dallas Flash, a physical therapist, and a pro pickleball player herself. Kaitlyn gets the opportunity to learn more about Julie’s background, how the Johnsons got into pickleball, insights into their professional journey, some fun pro stories and what the future looks like for the Johnson family. Hope you enjoy! Talk Pickle To Me 👅

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Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

1:41 Julie’s Childhood & Background

4:42 The Johnsons Decision to Move to Florida

6:20 How Did the Johnsons Get Into Pickleball?

9:37 When Did Julie Start Playing Pro?

12:06 The Inception of the Johnson 5

16:47 Coach Julie’s Journey

24:46 The MLP Championship Series, Dallas Flash

32:14 Do Pro Pickleball Players Work Hard?

36:20 Investment Opportunities?

40:30 Jdub and Jorja’s Sponsors

41:15 Julie Playing in Pro Events

43:23 How Does Julie Juggle It All?

45:50 What Does the Future Look Like for the Johnsons?

51:02 The Johnsons Support at MLP Championships

54:10 Outro