Salli Griffiths was thrilled and relieved to finally claim an English Nationals pickleball title at Bolton Arena last weekend after finishing on the podium many times without winning gold.
Salli (pictured above, left) and playing partner Yvonne Stredder were victorious in the women’s over-70s 3.0 – 3.5 category after conquering Mary State and Lynn Temple 11-2, 11—8 in the final.
“It’s so nice to get a gold this time,” said the 70-year-old, who plays for Runnymede Royals Pickleball Club as well as Aldershot and Farnham.
“I’ve been playing for five or six years and my first tournament was the English Open in 2019. I was in a level three category then and got silver with my doubles partner, then I’ve picked up lots of silvers and bronzes over the last few years. To get a gold is really lovely.”
Salli used to play squash for Berkshire but had to give up the sport due to “wrecked knees” when she was around 50. She had a long break from sport after that, before getting into pickleball purely by chance.
A graphic designer by trade, Salli was asked by a friend to design a logo for her pickleball club. “I replied, ‘Your what club?!’” she remembers. “I went along to see what it was all about – and a whole new adventure started from there.”
Salli started at Beaconsfield PC before moving to Runnymede, where her opponent in the English Nationals over-70s final, Mary State, also plays. In Bolton, Runnymede also boasted winners in the men’s singles 4.0 19+ category (Harry Feast) and the mixed doubles 3.0 35+ (Jayne Moses).
Salli now plays three or four times a week and plays even more frequently over the winter months, when she visits her sister in California. “That’s where I bought my first paddle,” she says. “There’s a huge recreational scene. I just get stuck in and go for it.”
Pickleball has had a hugely positive impact on her life: “It gives me great exercise and I’ve made lots of new friends,” she says.
“You get to meet so many people. We see each other at different events and it’s growing all the time, so there are lots of new faces whenever you go to festivals and tournaments. We’re like a big pickleball family.”
