Olympic medallist Gail Emms may have only recently started playing pickleball after a career in elite badminton, but she guarantees a mention of the sport in her new autobiography, ‘Grit and Goose Feathers’.
“There’s a little mention of pickleball at the end!” she tells Pickleball 52.
And she adds that on release date for the book, she was on a pickleball trip in Spain: “It tees it up nicely for the next book, doesn’t it? I’ve done my book about badminton, so the next book will be about pickleball.”
Emms says she has had lots of support for the book thus far.
“You feel quite vulnerable putting a book out,” she says.
“I think it’s a good representation of me. I’ve done a bit of everything, the funny stuff, the emotional stuff, the sports stuff, you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll really get to know me.”
Two paddle abuse warnings
Anyone who’s been watching Gail play for Surrey Smash in the Premier Pickleball League will already have a good sense of her personality.
“I think I’m the first person in pickleball history to get two paddle abuse warnings in their first ever match!” she laughs.
“We had this really long rally and I hit it in the net and, in a comedy Gail way, I threw my paddle down and everyone was laughing.
“And [the referee] just went, ‘Paddle abuse!’
“And I was like, ‘No, it’s funny!’
“‘No, you threw your paddle down.’
“I said, ‘Well, aren’t you allowed to throw your paddle down in a comedy way?’
“And everyone was like, ‘No, you’re not allowed to do that.’
“Then about three points later, I got hit on the finger, on the hand I was holding the paddle in, so I dropped the paddle because it was instant.
“And she gave me another warning. But it hit my finger! I couldn’t help that one! It was actually an accident.
“So I am the John McEnroe of pickleball now!”
You can catch Gail in English Nationals action next week, partnering Kirsty Robertson in the women’s doubles 4.5 15/35 and Anthony McElvaine in the mixed 4.5+ 35+.
