Hitchin born Olympic medallist & Badminton World Champion Gail Emms made her Pickleball debut at the Pickleball English Nationals in Loughborough last weekend.

Gail has recently taken up the sport & came 4th in her category (4.0), which was incredible for her first event!

Pickleball is a hybrid of badminton, table tennis & tennis that is easy to learn and fun to play, ideal for all ages and abilities.

Posting on social media Emms said it was a "valiant effort from myself" as she hadn't trained in months.

An estimated 45,000 people are currently playing pickleball nationwide, with Pickleball England reporting a 73% increase in membership at the end of 2024

Head to pickleballengland.org to find your nearest place to play