Players to Watch – Jennifer Lucore
Perhaps more than any other female athlete in the sport of pickleball, Jennifer Lucore embodies the true spirit of professionalism.
One of the sport’s true trailblazers, Jennifer Lucore is also one of pickleball’s most decorated athletes. Among her accomplishments include — 17-time gold medal winner at the USAPA National Championships, 11-time Canadian National Champion, four-time Tournament of Champions titleholder among many other medals and awards at the sport’s major tournaments.
At the 2018 Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships, Jennifer won silver medals in women’s and mixed doubles age 50+. She is also a six-time Huntsman World Senior Games Champion and six-time International Tournament Champion.
A USAPA Ambassador at large, Lucore’s first played pickleball over ten years ago when she was vacationing with her family and met up with her parents in Bend, Oregon for a local tournament. There, she saw first-hand how all ages can compete in pickleball and experience a wonderful time on and off the court. She attended the very first USAPA Nationals in 2009 to watch her parents compete in the event. That’s all it took for Jennifer to catch the pickleball bug. The very next year, she started playing and from then on has fully experienced the love and passion for the game and the people that play the great sport of pickleball.
Lucore, a native resident of southern California has spanned the globe, promoting and playing in countries like Canada, Caribbean, Costa Rica, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, The Netherlands, United Kingdom and in 2020 will be traveling to Ireland and Kenya.
Known internationally as one of pickleball’s pre-eminent bloggers, Lucore and her mother also recently published the sport’s first ever history book, “History of Pickleball – More Than 50 Years of Fun!” Her love of the sport is clearly evident and is thrilled about USAPA’s top event being played in California. “With the Nationals playing at Indian Wells, it means we have a bigger stage to showcase this awesome sport.” Lucore’s enthusiasm can also be found in Pickleball Magazine throughout the year as the publication’s “Around the Post” column co-contributor.
