Lina Padegimaite's Incredible Journey: Mom, Doctor, and Professional Pickleball Champion
Lina Padegimaite: The Doctor, the Mom, and the Pro Athlete Who Showed Up to Pickleball Seven Months Pregnant — and Never Left
By Dink Authority Magazine | June 2026 Issue
Some stories don't need embellishment. Lina Padegimaite's is one of them.
Picture the scene: the year is 2020, the world has come to a standstill. She's seven months pregnant, working full time as a physical therapist. And at that moment, a friend invites her to hit a plastic ball on a court that hardly anyone knew existed yet. Most reasonable people would have said no.
Lina said yes.
From Kaunas to Austin, Racket in Hand
Lina was born and raised in Kaunas, Lithuania. She started playing tennis at age 8 — that age in Eastern Europe where kids simply learn to take sports seriously — and by 2011 she was already representing the Lithuanian Women's National Team at the Fed Cup.
That same year, she crossed the Atlantic on a full scholarship to play D1 tennis at the University of Texas. In Austin, she found more than a court: she found home. She was named Big XII Freshman of the Year, led the team to two conference championships, and graduated in 2015 with highest honors in Exercise Science. Not content with that, she continued her education and earned a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Texas State University in 2018.
By that point, Lina Padegimaite was a doctor, a former elite tennis player, and a mother-to-be. Pickleball still didn't exist on her radar.
The Most Unusual Baby Shower Gift
The story of how she found pickleball deserves to be told slowly, because it's the kind of story that if you made it up, nobody would believe you.
Her friend, Dr. Curtis Crane, invited her to play when the table tennis club where they spent their Sundays shut down during the pandemic. And as a final touch — that detail that turns an anecdote into a story worth telling — Crane gifted her her first pickleball paddle as a baby shower present.
Seven months pregnant. First paddle. First court.
Two months after giving birth to her son, Lina was already back training. In April 2021, just a few months later, she won the Midsouth Regionals in both singles and doubles at the 5.0 level. The qualification for the USA Pickleball Nationals came before anyone expected it. Including her.
From the Physical Therapy Clinic to the Professional Tour
What makes Lina unique isn't just her athletic ability — it's what she knows how to do with it.
Her background as a physical therapist isn't simply a line in her biography. It is her real competitive advantage. While other players learn to hit harder, Lina learns to move better. She studies biomechanics, analyzes movement patterns, understands the body from the inside. That's not something you pick up at a pickleball clinic.
In 2023 she made the leap and turned professional full time. The results followed: 8 professional medals, three MLP semifinals, champion of the 2025 MLP Challenger Cup Dallas with the California Black Bears, and champion of the 2024 Mid-Season Tournament with the Brooklyn Aces. In the PPA women's singles rankings, Lina has placed herself among the top 30 in the world.
A Career Nobody Saw Coming — The Numbers
Because the numbers tell a story too. Here's Lina's, tournament by tournament:
Major League Pickleball
Lina has worn four different MLP jerseys — and left her mark in every one. She started in 2022 with the New Jersey 5s, where she went undefeated at the Austin event and reached two consecutive semifinals. In 2024 she lifted her first team trophy with the Brooklyn Aces at the mid-season tournament. In 2025 she won again with the California Black Bears at the MLP Challenger Cup in Dallas. Today she is back with the New Jersey 5s in 2026 — a return to the beginning, with a lot more experience behind her.
YearTeamResult2022New Jersey 5sSemifinalist Newport Beach / Undefeated in Austin2024Brooklyn Aces🏆 Champion Mid-Season Tournament2025California Black Bears🏆 Champion MLP Challenger Cup Dallas2025California Black BearsPlayoff appearance2026New Jersey 5sSeason in progress
PPA Tour
On the most important professional pickleball circuit, Lina has built a consistent record across singles, women's doubles and mixed doubles. Her standout results include a silver medal in singles at the 2025 PPA Charleston Challenger, a semifinal finish in women's doubles at the 2024 Red Rock Open, and a fourth-place finish in singles at the 2024 USA Indoor Championships. At her peak she ranked inside the top 10 in the world in singles — and currently holds a top-30 position.
APP Tour
Before signing with the PPA, Lina built her early professional record on the APP circuit: silver in women's doubles at the 2022 Sacramento Open, silver in doubles and bronze in both mixed and singles at the 2022 Cincinnati Open, bronze in singles at the Mesa Open, and multiple top-4 finishes in Houston and Plantation.
Before All of It: The Foundation
In 2021, just months after giving birth, Lina won the USA Pickleball National Championship at the 5.0 level in singles and took silver in doubles. That result qualified her for Nationals and set everything else in motion.
In total: more than 8 professional medals, 2 MLP team titles, four different franchises, and a career that — it bears repeating — started with a paddle gifted at a baby shower.
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The Player Who Teaches, and the Teacher Who Plays
Lina isn't just an athlete. She is a certified instructor through the Professional Pickleball Registry, and has spent years running clinics in Austin, Dallas, Grand Rapids, Newport Beach, Los Angeles, New York — and internationally, in Lithuania and Switzerland.
Her method isn't generic. She applies everything she knows as a physical therapist to teach with purpose: longevity on the court, movement efficiency, injury prevention. She doesn't just teach you how to win points. She teaches you how to keep playing for decades.
But perhaps the most remarkable thing about Lina Padegimaite isn't found in any trophy or certification. It's in how she balances all of this as a mother. Training, tournaments, clinics, consultations — and through all of it, a son growing up watching his mom compete at the highest level.
That teaches something too. Maybe more than any clinic could.
What's Next
The 2026 MLP season finds her in a different role. Lina is part of the New Jersey 5s roster — currently the most dominant team in the league — but she holds a spot on the bench. It's not the role many would expect for a two-time MLP champion, and she knows it.
But there's something professional pickleball has proven time and time again: rosters shift, injuries happen, Dreambreakers arrive without warning. And when that moment comes, Lina Padegimaite will be ready. She always has been.
There are younger players out there. There are players with bigger budgets behind them. But there are very few who showed up to this sport seven months pregnant, with a paddle gifted at a baby shower, and ended up becoming a professional champion, a Doctor of Physical Therapy, and a role model for their community.
That combination can't be drafted — and no ranking can fully explain it.
Interview
Dink Authority × Lina Padegimaite
Mother. Physical Therapist. Professional Athlete. One remarkable journey.
DA: Many people know Lina the athlete. How would you describe Lina the person?
LINA: I'm someone who values discipline, curiosity, and connection. I'm naturally competitive, but I also lead with empathy. I care deeply about the people around me — my family, my teammates, my students. I try to show up fully in everything I do.
DA: You have built a career that bridges science, sport, and teaching. How do those three worlds come together in your day-to-day?
LINA: They're all connected through one purpose: helping people move and perform better. Whether I'm in the clinic, on the court, or leading a clinic, I'm always applying the same principles — understanding the body, building smart habits, and pushing for progress with intention.
DA: Your pickleball story started with a baby shower gift. Looking back, what goes through your mind when you think about that moment today?
LINA: It still makes me smile. That paddle came at a time when I was completely focused on becoming a mom and building a life beyond my career. I had no idea it would open the door to something so life-changing. It's a perfect reminder that life rarely unfolds the way we imagine it will.
DA: You've already accomplished a lot in a relatively short time in professional pickleball. When you look ahead, what still motivates you every day?
LINA: I think it's the opportunity to keep growing. There is always something to improve, whether it's my game, my mindset, or the way I help others through coaching. I love the challenge of seeing how far I can push myself while still being present for my family and the people who support me.
DA: You've experienced the sport as a player, a coach, a physical therapist, and a mother. Which of those roles has taught you the most?
LINA: Motherhood, without question. Becoming a mom changed my perspective on everything. It taught me patience, resilience, and gratitude. It also helped me realize that success isn't just about results. It's about showing up every day, doing your best, and being someone your child can look up to.
DA: What do you hope people remember most when they think about Lina Padegimaite?
LINA: I hope they remember someone who worked hard, treated people well, and gave everything she had to the things that mattered most. Of course I want to win and compete at the highest level, but I also want to make a positive impact on the people around me.
DA: Finally, what advice would you give to someone who feels like it's too late to start something new?
LINA: Don't let fear make decisions for you. Life doesn't always follow the timeline we imagine. Sometimes the opportunities that change everything come when we least expect them. Stay curious, keep working, and be open to new experiences. You never know where they might lead.
A tennis player from Lithuania. A physical therapist in Texas. A mother navigating the uncertainty of a global pandemic. A baby shower gift that unexpectedly opened the door to a new career. And eventually, a professional pickleball player competing against some of the best athletes in the world.
Today, Lina continues to balance competition, coaching, family, and personal growth. Her story is not defined by a single title, a ranking, or a trophy. It is defined by perseverance, adaptability, and the willingness to embrace opportunities when they appear.
Her journey is proof that success does not always arrive according to plan. Sometimes it arrives disguised as a gift. And sometimes, the best stories are the ones still being written.
— Dink Authority Magazine
Lina Padegimaite: The Doctor, the Mom, and the Pro Athlete Who Showed Up to Pickleball Seven Months Pregnant — and Never Left
By Dink Authority Magazine | June 2026 Issue
Some stories don't need embellishment. Lina Padegimaite's is one of them.
Picture the scene: the year is 2020, the world has come to a standstill. She's seven months pregnant, working full time as a physical therapist. And at that moment, a friend invites her to hit a plastic ball on a court that hardly anyone knew existed yet. Most reasonable people would have said no.
Lina said yes.
From Kaunas to Austin, Racket in Hand
Lina was born and raised in Kaunas, Lithuania. She started playing tennis at age 8 — that age in Eastern Europe where kids simply learn to take sports seriously — and by 2011 she was already representing the Lithuanian Women's National Team at the Fed Cup.
That same year, she crossed the Atlantic on a full scholarship to play D1 tennis at the University of Texas. In Austin, she found more than a court: she found home. She was named Big XII Freshman of the Year, led the team to two conference championships, and graduated in 2015 with highest honors in Exercise Science. Not content with that, she continued her education and earned a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Texas State University in 2018.
By that point, Lina Padegimaite was a doctor, a former elite tennis player, and a mother-to-be. Pickleball still didn't exist on her radar.
The Most Unusual Baby Shower Gift
The story of how she found pickleball deserves to be told slowly, because it's the kind of story that if you made it up, nobody would believe you.
Her friend, Dr. Curtis Crane, invited her to play when the table tennis club where they spent their Sundays shut down during the pandemic. And as a final touch — that detail that turns an anecdote into a story worth telling — Crane gifted her her first pickleball paddle as a baby shower present.
Seven months pregnant. First paddle. First court.
Two months after giving birth to her son, Lina was already back training. In April 2021, just a few months later, she won the Midsouth Regionals in both singles and doubles at the 5.0 level. The qualification for the USA Pickleball Nationals came before anyone expected it. Including her.
From the Physical Therapy Clinic to the Professional Tour
What makes Lina unique isn't just her athletic ability — it's what she knows how to do with it.
Her background as a physical therapist isn't simply a line in her biography. It is her real competitive advantage. While other players learn to hit harder, Lina learns to move better. She studies biomechanics, analyzes movement patterns, understands the body from the inside. That's not something you pick up at a pickleball clinic.
In 2023 she made the leap and turned professional full time. The results followed: 8 professional medals, three MLP semifinals, champion of the 2025 MLP Challenger Cup Dallas with the California Black Bears, and champion of the 2024 Mid-Season Tournament with the Brooklyn Aces. In the PPA women's singles rankings, Lina has placed herself among the top 30 in the world.
A Career Nobody Saw Coming — The Numbers
Because the numbers tell a story too. Here's Lina's, tournament by tournament:
Major League Pickleball
Lina has worn four different MLP jerseys — and left her mark in every one. She started in 2022 with the New Jersey 5s, where she went undefeated at the Austin event and reached two consecutive semifinals. In 2024 she lifted her first team trophy with the Brooklyn Aces at the mid-season tournament. In 2025 she won again with the California Black Bears at the MLP Challenger Cup in Dallas. Today she is back with the New Jersey 5s in 2026 — a return to the beginning, with a lot more experience behind her.
YearTeamResult2022New Jersey 5sSemifinalist Newport Beach / Undefeated in Austin2024Brooklyn Aces🏆 Champion Mid-Season Tournament2025California Black Bears🏆 Champion MLP Challenger Cup Dallas2025California Black BearsPlayoff appearance2026New Jersey 5sSeason in progress
PPA Tour
On the most important professional pickleball circuit, Lina has built a consistent record across singles, women's doubles and mixed doubles. Her standout results include a silver medal in singles at the 2025 PPA Charleston Challenger, a semifinal finish in women's doubles at the 2024 Red Rock Open, and a fourth-place finish in singles at the 2024 USA Indoor Championships. At her peak she ranked inside the top 10 in the world in singles — and currently holds a top-30 position.
APP Tour
Before signing with the PPA, Lina built her early professional record on the APP circuit: silver in women's doubles at the 2022 Sacramento Open, silver in doubles and bronze in both mixed and singles at the 2022 Cincinnati Open, bronze in singles at the Mesa Open, and multiple top-4 finishes in Houston and Plantation.
Before All of It: The Foundation
In 2021, just months after giving birth, Lina won the USA Pickleball National Championship at the 5.0 level in singles and took silver in doubles. That result qualified her for Nationals and set everything else in motion.
In total: more than 8 professional medals, 2 MLP team titles, four different franchises, and a career that — it bears repeating — started with a paddle gifted at a baby shower.
LOVE PICKLEBALL?
Get Dink Authority Magazine updates, new editions, pro stories and event alerts.
We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.
The Player Who Teaches, and the Teacher Who Plays
Lina isn't just an athlete. She is a certified instructor through the Professional Pickleball Registry, and has spent years running clinics in Austin, Dallas, Grand Rapids, Newport Beach, Los Angeles, New York — and internationally, in Lithuania and Switzerland.
Her method isn't generic. She applies everything she knows as a physical therapist to teach with purpose: longevity on the court, movement efficiency, injury prevention. She doesn't just teach you how to win points. She teaches you how to keep playing for decades.
But perhaps the most remarkable thing about Lina Padegimaite isn't found in any trophy or certification. It's in how she balances all of this as a mother. Training, tournaments, clinics, consultations — and through all of it, a son growing up watching his mom compete at the highest level.
That teaches something too. Maybe more than any clinic could.
What's Next
The 2026 MLP season finds her in a different role. Lina is part of the New Jersey 5s roster — currently the most dominant team in the league — but she holds a spot on the bench. It's not the role many would expect for a two-time MLP champion, and she knows it.
But there's something professional pickleball has proven time and time again: rosters shift, injuries happen, Dreambreakers arrive without warning. And when that moment comes, Lina Padegimaite will be ready. She always has been.
There are younger players out there. There are players with bigger budgets behind them. But there are very few who showed up to this sport seven months pregnant, with a paddle gifted at a baby shower, and ended up becoming a professional champion, a Doctor of Physical Therapy, and a role model for their community.
That combination can't be drafted — and no ranking can fully explain it.
Interview
Dink Authority × Lina Padegimaite
Mother. Physical Therapist. Professional Athlete. One remarkable journey.
DA: Many people know Lina the athlete. How would you describe Lina the person?
LINA: I'm someone who values discipline, curiosity, and connection. I'm naturally competitive, but I also lead with empathy. I care deeply about the people around me — my family, my teammates, my students. I try to show up fully in everything I do.
DA: You have built a career that bridges science, sport, and teaching. How do those three worlds come together in your day-to-day?
LINA: They're all connected through one purpose: helping people move and perform better. Whether I'm in the clinic, on the court, or leading a clinic, I'm always applying the same principles — understanding the body, building smart habits, and pushing for progress with intention.
DA: Your pickleball story started with a baby shower gift. Looking back, what goes through your mind when you think about that moment today?
LINA: It still makes me smile. That paddle came at a time when I was completely focused on becoming a mom and building a life beyond my career. I had no idea it would open the door to something so life-changing. It's a perfect reminder that life rarely unfolds the way we imagine it will.
DA: You've already accomplished a lot in a relatively short time in professional pickleball. When you look ahead, what still motivates you every day?
LINA: I think it's the opportunity to keep growing. There is always something to improve, whether it's my game, my mindset, or the way I help others through coaching. I love the challenge of seeing how far I can push myself while still being present for my family and the people who support me.
DA: You've experienced the sport as a player, a coach, a physical therapist, and a mother. Which of those roles has taught you the most?
LINA: Motherhood, without question. Becoming a mom changed my perspective on everything. It taught me patience, resilience, and gratitude. It also helped me realize that success isn't just about results. It's about showing up every day, doing your best, and being someone your child can look up to.
DA: What do you hope people remember most when they think about Lina Padegimaite?
LINA: I hope they remember someone who worked hard, treated people well, and gave everything she had to the things that mattered most. Of course I want to win and compete at the highest level, but I also want to make a positive impact on the people around me.
DA: Finally, what advice would you give to someone who feels like it's too late to start something new?
LINA: Don't let fear make decisions for you. Life doesn't always follow the timeline we imagine. Sometimes the opportunities that change everything come when we least expect them. Stay curious, keep working, and be open to new experiences. You never know where they might lead.
A tennis player from Lithuania. A physical therapist in Texas. A mother navigating the uncertainty of a global pandemic. A baby shower gift that unexpectedly opened the door to a new career. And eventually, a professional pickleball player competing against some of the best athletes in the world.
Today, Lina continues to balance competition, coaching, family, and personal growth. Her story is not defined by a single title, a ranking, or a trophy. It is defined by perseverance, adaptability, and the willingness to embrace opportunities when they appear.
Her journey is proof that success does not always arrive according to plan. Sometimes it arrives disguised as a gift. And sometimes, the best stories are the ones still being written.
— Dink Authority Magazine
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