Georgia Macalle was a high-level netballer, hurdler, long jumper and amateur footballer – but after discovering pickleball, she immediately retired from them all!
The 26-year-old first picked up a paddle at Angel Pickleball Club in her hometown of Basildon in Essex, but then “badgered her way into” higher level sessions led by Dave Lazarus at nearby Redbridge Leisure Centre.
Just under a year on, Georgia now trains at least four times a week and admits she is “hopelessly obsessed” with pickleball. Coaching from Dave and Spicy Pickleball founder Mollie Kubrick-Finney at nearby Sawbridgeworth has raised her level massively in rapid time. Her dedication and being “extremely, horribly competitive” (her words!) make for a pretty potent combination.
Six weeks ago, Georgia entered her highest-level competition so far – the Diadem Doubles Dash in Norwich, organised by Jess Wilson and Sam Anderson. Competing alongside Mollie in a high-class women’s doubles draw, she won a bronze medal.
“Mollie took a gamble on me,” Georgia tells Pickleball52. “She wasn’t sure if I was ready, but my attitude was, ‘I’d rather be bottom of the top than top of the bottom.’ I always want to train and compete with the best.
“The tournament really opened my eyes to the level I’m at. I played better than I thought I would, but it highlighted to me what I needed to go away and work on. I’m hoping my pickleball comes on over the next six months so we can be a solid pairing in major competitions come next year. Our pickleball complements each other. Obviously she is the stronger player, but with a lot of hard graft I can hopefully narrow that gap between us.”
That performance in Norwich helped earn Georgia a two-year sponsorship deal with Diadem and selection for the upcoming Franklin Premier Pickleball League Challenger, which begins on 5-7 July at Bolton Arena.
“That will give me so much exposure to some of the best players in the country,” she said. “Hopefully come the 2025 season, me and Mollie can go out together and absolutely smash the major UK and European tournaments. That’s the dream. Mollie has given me so many opportunities and we get on like a house on fire. I’m really, really grateful. She is a phenomenal coach and person.”
Georgia completed her qualification as a paramedic in March and now fits pickleball training around her shift work. That leaves little room for her previous sporting pursuits, so her running spikes, netball bibs and football boots are now consigned to the back of a dusty cupboard.
“I’ve retired from all my other sports – my sole focus is pickleball,” Georgia chuckles. “As a hurdler, long jumper and netballer, I’m used to short, sharp movements and quick reaction times. That suits me in pickleball. I’ve never been so keen on any other sport in my life.”
She added: “I love the fact that it’s so accessible to all ages and abilities and I love the teamwork element, going through the journey together. It turns out I’m showing a bit of potential which has given me so much motivation to stick at it.”
Georgia’s competitiveness and ambition mean she is already setting herself targets. “Once I’ve got the exposure and experience of the PPL Challenger under my belt, I’m really keen to push for selection in the main PPL come next season. Then I would love to be in the top five women in the country – that’s the ultimate goal for me.”
