Tracy Walker had a day to remember after taking home silver at the 2024 Skechers English Nationals in Bolton.
Partnered with Marcia Audibert, Walker finished runner-up in the Women’s Doubles Open 50+, narrowly missing out on gold in a hard-fought final against Anna Linton and Julie Mac that brought out the best of English pickleball.
Having medalled with distinction in her hometown, Walker revelled in the success of her recent partnership with Audibert.
“It feels great, doesn’t it?,” the Bolton native said. “It’s quite a new partnership so it feels like a real achievement to win a silver medal here.
“I live here so it’s pretty alright! It’s truly satisfying.”
Pickleball is a racket sport which sees players compete using paddles and a perforated plastic ball.
The sport is played indoors and outdoors, and was invented in 1965 as a children’s backyard game in the United States but is a fast-growing sport for all ages across England
Taking place from Thursday 31 October to Sunday 3 November at Bolton Arena, the 2024 Skechers English Nationals comprises four days of high-level competition, with a record number of 1,111 pickleball players competing in the North-west.
She added: “Getting to know the different people for me is great. I’ve played other sports in the past and it’s really friendly and really supportive and just the fitness and focus it gives you is so satisfying.
“It’s really important to have events like these, you can see the people here and everyone can have a go and there’s different levels, different ages, it’s brilliant.
“It’s so accessible and we’ve got some really good regional coordinators like Lou and Elaine [Shallcross] who have worked really hard to grow the sport.
“I’ve done a course to help beginners get introduced to the game and you can play on a badminton court with a bit of adjustments so it’s quite accessible.
“It’d be nice to have more purpose-built courts here in the North but the people who do these tournaments work so hard and it’s just getting bigger and bigger.”
Pickleball England has announced a record number of over 1,000 players competing at the 2024 Skechers English Nationals. The tournament takes place from the 31st October – 3rd November at Bolton Arena and is the second largest national pickleball event. For more information, visit www.pickleballengland.org
Featured Image Credit: Pickleball England/Paul Currie
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