When we ring Mary Thomas to have a chat about her amazing 2024 – which has included representing Cymru at the European Championship – she is, perhaps unsurprisingly, on her way home in Anglesey from playing pickleball with a local social group.
“They really enjoy it – all abilities, 24 of them, a great turn-out on a Monday morning,” she says.
Mary herself came to pickleball as a badminton player, and was lured along just before the pandemic to make up the numbers in an arranged session.
“Because I’d played racquet sports before, it didn’t take me long to get into it – and my badminton racquet hasn’t been used since. We had one go at badminton [since then] – and I just couldn’t hit the shuttle! We couldn’t stop laughing! It was weird going back to it.”
And she hasn’t looked back. She was asked earlier in 2024 if she would put her name forward for consideration for Team Wales, and agreed, not expecting anything further until she saw a WhatsApp message confirming her selection.
Her matches were dramatic ones as well, partnering Justine Steven in the doubles and edging one match against Latvia by an incredible 18-16: “I could see Kath’s [Knowles] face in the corner, she said she was nearly throwing up!”
To win their matches was impressive, perhaps even more so considering they hadn’t played together as a pair before. “She’s South Wales, I’m North Wales, so we couldn’t get together to practise.
“We gelled well together straightaway, which was good. We talked to each other on the court, we knew what we were doing.”
Mary’s 2025 schedule is currently mostly in pencil as she operates around her work which depends on seasonal tourism – but she hopes that she might get the nod for any future international tournaments.
“At my time of life, I’m going to represent my country?! I was honoured to be chosen. It was a fantastic experience for my first time – I hope it’s not the last.”
