Pandas, Pepper & Pickleball in Chengdu

The week flew by in the blink of an eye. After a long journey, my international pickleball tour brought me to Chengdu, China, for an unforgettable week of culture, competition, and connection. Chengdu has now become one of my favorite destinations. Fun fact: it’s been voted the happiest city in China for 14 consecutive years—and it shows. Despite its size, the city is filled with greenery, warm energy, and of course… pandas, which absolutely steal the show.

Navigating China meant adapting to WeChat and Alipay, essential tools for transportation, ordering food, and making any kind of payment. It was a crash course in daily life here and made the experience feel all the more immersive.

A highlight off the court was my visit to the Chengdu Panda Sanctuary. Seeing giant pandas chewing bamboo, teenage pandas wrestling, and red pandas napping was heart-melting. I felt a twinge of mom guilt going without Lily and JR, since pandas are their favorite. But thanks to FaceTime, I brought them along virtually, sharing the joy in real time. Of course, I couldn’t leave without picking up some panda souvenirs to bring home—and a little extra panda magic for them.

On the pickleball court, the level of play at this China pickleball tournament was high, especially from the strong group of American and Australian players. Through my Franklin Pickleball family, I was honored to coach two international pickleball clinics, meeting passionate players and fans from across Asia and beyond. It was another reminder of how global this sport is becoming.

And then… I met Sichuan pepper. A true local experience—one that made my whole mouth tingle with a numbing, buzzing sensation. It’s not just spicy; it’s a full-on mouth adventure. An experience, but not one I’ll be eager to repeat!

By the end of the week, I came down with a tough head cold. After a loss in mixed doubles, I made the hard but smart choice to withdraw from singles and rest up for the women’s doubles final. That decision paid off—Pei and I won gold, and the crowd’s energy was unreal. I’ve never taken so many selfies in my life—pickleball fans in China are next-level, and my cheeks actually hurt from smiling. I came home with a bag full of panda souvenirs and one very fancy gold medal—maybe one of the fanciest I’ve ever won.

The journey home was no joke—an 18-hour flight, followed by a 11pm landing in Orlando and a final 3-hour drive down to Naples. I was exhausted, but my heart was full. I couldn’t wait to see my family. It was tough missing Easter with them or just being away from them overall, but knowing they were celebrating with friends and having a great time made it a little easier.

This journey reminded me why I love this sport—not just for the competition, but for the connections, the culture, and the chance to live this dream with my family. Grateful for every moment on this wild ride of pickleball travel and adventure.