'I'm so excited': Local woman wins national pickleball competition

If you ask Linda Marasco, she might say she hasn’t led a particularly athletic life – but now, at 71, she’s a national champion in pickleball.

Marasco recently came out on top in 70+ 3.5 doubles competition at the 2026 IG Wealth Management National Championship in Toronto – an outcome that might seem surprising given her athletic history.

“I played tennis in high school, but I wasn't very good at it. I wouldn't consider myself a sports person at all,” Marasco told SooToday.

Nonetheless, after picking up the sport on a competitive basis in 2014, it’s a goal she’s been chasing for a while.

As a snowbird who winters in Florida, the pickleball club Marasco plays with down south displays national champions in its rafters – and Marasco wanted to add a Canadian to the list.

Last week, she finally pulled it off.

“They have banners for the U.S. Open, banners for the U.S. nationals, and banners for the Canadian nationals,” she said.

“There have been no names under the Canadian banner, so it’s always been my goal to get my name under the Canadian banner, and I finally did that. I'm so excited.”

With the sport surging in popularity in recent years, over 900 pickleballers hit the court at the national championships over the past week – including fellow Soo Pickleball competitor Joel Jones, who also picked up gold in the men's 35-49 4.5 competition (3.5 and 4.5 being pickleball skill rating categories).

While she's now secured her spot in the rafters Marasco may not be done just yet.

Today is the final day of the national championship tournament, which brought over 900 athletes to Toronto, and Marasco will hit the court again in 65+ 3.5 competition.

Playing pickleball is as much a social activity as it is a competitive sport for Marasco, who said the sport’s accessibility has opened up the athletic world for herself and others.

“That's why pickleball is so great: it's so easy to learn, so easy to pick up. I can teach you how to play in an hour,” she said.

“It's just so much fun, and we can all be athletes now. I can play with my granddaughter – there's no age limit.”

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