ABOUT THIS EPISODE
In this episode, Danni-Elle sits down with Roscoe and Jared fresh off a run to the MLP finals in Austin. She breaks down what it's like competing on American soil for the first time, why she's unapologetic about staying rooted in Australia, and why she believes the sport's next wave of talent is coming from the Asia-Pacific region.
Danni-Elle opens up about her table tennis career — how her mom and dad met through the sport, how she rose to the Australian national team, and how it all ended with a cold email telling her "good luck with the rest of your life" after a contract technicality they used to push her out. She traces the unlikely path from that moment to playing pickleball on a wood floor on International Pickleball Day with "a bunch of old people" — and how a free-drinks tournament turned into a full-blown obsession.
Danni-Elle also gets into the confidence and swagger she brings to every court, the moment she told Roscoe she's the best women's right-side player in the world, and her completely unbothered declaration that Anna Leigh Waters already knows she's coming for her crown. She shares why being told she "wasn't the look" sponsors were seeking only made her more committed to playing her own way — and why she's betting on herself to crack the top five within a year.
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Timestamps:
1:10 — Welcome & Intro
1:38 — MLP Breakout and First Impressions
3:05 — Paving the Way for Australian Pickleball
4:01 — Joey Wild and the 1:20 AM Drive to Train
5:30 — Where Does She Rank Right Now?
6:28 — Why She's Staying in Australia
7:21 — Is Asia the Future of Pickleball?
12:22 — From Ping-Pong to Pickleball
13:08 — The Origin of the Name "Danielle"
14:06 — Growing Up in Australia with Three Brothers
14:55 — Table Tennis National Team — and Getting Kicked Out
16:27 — Discovering Pickleball on International Pickleball Day
17:33 — When Pickleball Gets Too Serious
19:40 — The Fun vs. Business Tipping Point
22:49 — Style Differences: Australia vs. the States
26:07 — What Gives Her That Energy on Court
27:09 — The Clown Incident with ALW
29:59 — Confidence, Competition, and the "Hell No" Mentality
33:14 — Theater, Brothers, and Where the Confidence Came From
34:47 — Jesse and the "I Don't Like People" Introduction
35:53 — Tennis vs. Ping-Pong as a Pickleball Prerequisite
39:27 — Most Underrated Player: Georgia Johnson
40:15 — Getting Told She "Wasn't the Look"
42:39 — Goals: Top Five in One Year, Best in Three
51:56 — Where Does Australia Rank Globally?
53:13 — Coming for ALW's Crown
55:03 — Dream Doubles Partner
TRANSCRIPT 🔗
OTHER EPISODES IN THIS PODCAST
