Meet Kelly Whalen, pickleball instructor at Elite Sports Club-Mequon. Kelly is a very experienced and successful player and coach in many racquet sports, including racquetball, tennis, and pickleball. She previously was the Head Women’s Tennis Coach at UWM for 8 years. She joins Elite to share her passion for pickleball to grow the sport in the Greater Milwaukee community.
Get to Know Kelly Whalen
- What position(s) do you currently hold at Elite and any you have held in the past?
I’m a pickleball instructor at Elite-Mequon.
- How long have you been working in the health/fitness/tennis industry and how long have you worked at Elite?
I’ve been working in the health & fitness industry since 1991, and I started at Elite in September 2022.
- What made you want to start working in this industry and/or for Elite?
The love of the game and teaching others all about it.
- What is your favorite part about your job?
Meeting great people and seeing them get hooked!
- What activities do you participate in at the club or outside of the club that are health/fitness/tennis related?
Right now, I just play pickleball every day, sometimes multiple times a day.
- What has been your biggest personal struggle with health/fitness/tennis?
Finding an indoor facility that accommodates pickleball players in the evening hours.
- What has been your biggest personal accomplishment with health/fitness/tennis?
Winning multiple state singles championships (racquetball)
Winning gold at National Senior Games (Racquetball)
Induction into the Racquetball Hall of Fame
Winning silver medal at National Senior Games (pickleball)
- What advice do you give people who are coming to the club for the first time?
Enjoy your experience and be patient with yourself. Ask the experts if you have any questions about your fitness program and stick with it.
- What advice do you give people who are struggling to make health/fitness/tennis a priority or are getting bored/burned out?
Try pickleball!
- What personal advice do you give someone who is looking to get to a healthier point in their life in general?
Reward yourself when you accomplish them.
Find others who support you.
Stay positive.
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