My Story

In life, time is the most important thing to me so we have to make sure we always live in the moments that come our way. These moments are good, bad, and messy but they are life. Sometimes they suck, but there is always something to be grateful for. I've spent a lot of time in the hospital, mostly when I was young starting from the age of 2 and having my most major surgeries at ages 10-12. I am now 16 and so much healthier but still navigating how to get to my healthiest. The hospital is not a fun place especially when you are having issues and pain that feels never-ending. I wouldn't erase that time if I could though, it taught me so many things. That time really showed me how much my friends and family cared about me, how they would be there for me in a heartbeat, and how I wanted to to the same for them if the time ever came. It also taught me to be a fighter which is a strength I believe I carry on to the pickleball court. It reminds me that a match isn't over till its over and that even if I lose, it's an experience to make me better and make me work harder.

In life until finding pickleball, I never thought I would be an athlete. I come from a family of athletes, both my parents play tennis and my brother plays both soccer and tennis. I was the uncoordinated and unathletic one until I started my pickleball journey. My parents put a lot of time into teaching me tennis but I never took to it or loved it. For a time, I couldn't play it with my health issues but I always found my passion in other things like art.

At the age of 12, I had what I considered my last surgery. Now I can't say the same since I have been put under twice this year but that surgery is still a very important milestone in my life. It was when I hit the highest point of health I had been in my entire life. I felt way better playing sports and actually wanted to get better at tennis. I'm not a great competitive tennis player but I did play for my school's team freshman year of High School. The funny thing was, the year I got healthier (7th grade) and started trying to become a good tennis player, I also found pickleball. In hindsight, pickleball helped my tennis game a lot because I got more athletic as I got better at pickleball. Obviously, it was a mechanics thing too.

Now for the big question: How did I find pickleball and make my way to pro? Well it started with Costco paddles and a whole lot of perseverance!

My family started off as total beginners and would show up to these two courts on the side of a trail nearby. I immediately got hooked and my parents did too. Me and my mom played our first 3.0 tournament that September (2022) and never stopped going! Funny story is we got beat up by some 50+ ladies in that tournament - a humbling experience every newbie needs to have at some point haha.

After a number of local tournaments, we made an Instagram account @ella.angie.pickle to document our pickleball journey and connect with the community. Now, whenever we want to, we can look back at the old memories while making the new ones.

After our tournament addiction started, it just kept going. We rose up in level to 4.0 in less than a year and I asked to go play a PPA for my 14th birthday. PPA was so fun and it got us hooked even more when we battled to win some golden tickets to nationals. I ended up winning the 2023 junior doubles PPA nationals and would go on to play my first Pro match a year later at the same venue (PPA Worlds). I played some local tournaments in early 2024 along with the US Open for pickleball. Things really took off when I played the Orange County Cup PPA in June 2024. I became the first girl to triple crown on the Junior PPA Tour and that motivated me even more because I felt like an even higher level was achievable. I played pro later that year as previously mentioned and a lot of qualifiers and main draws this year. This September (2025) I hit a huge milestone by signing with the PPA Tour and its already been an amazing experience. Still, I have lots to learn and lots to improve.

I like to reflect like this to see how far I've come. I mean, if I told little Ella that I would accomplish this much, she would be so shocked and proud. I went through some bumps in the road but still made it to my success that I have today. The best part is, I still don't know where that road is going, but I am so excited to live more moments, get stronger, and achieve my goals.

Pickleball is truly an amazing sport that grows the best communities. Thanks for reading a part of my story! Feel free to reach out with any questions or if you are going through something and want to share your journey. I love hearing other people's stories.