Designated Dinker

Currently ranked as the No. 2 female pickleball player, Catherine Parenteau takes Naples’ courts by storm.

Not long ago, Catherine Parenteau was looking for a new challenge. Tennis had been in her life since she was 4 years old. She had excelled at the sport in her native Canada and played at Michigan State University. But as her National Collegiate Athletic Association eligibility ran out, she realized she needed a life after tennis.

Her tennis coach, Simone Jardin, introduced her to pickleball. Catherine didn’t know much about the sport, which is similar to tennis but played on a smaller court with a larger ball and smaller paddle. She enjoyed the fastpaced rhythm of the game, and the naturally competitive Catherine was good at it. She had found her second life.

Now, Catherine is one of the best pickleball players in the country. She’s made her home in Naples, which is heralded as a hub of the sport. The honor is partly due to the Naples Pickleball Center in