Kylie Tomlin's Inspiring Journey at the 2026 Tasmanian Pickleball Championships

13-03-2026
Pickleball Australia


(Photo Credit - Paul Hoelen Photography)

Last month at the 2026 Tasmanian Pickleball Championships in Hobart, one of our amazing volunteers, Wendy Hudson, sat down with Kylie Tomlin. As a deaf athlete competing at this state championship event, Kylie shared her first-hand experiences of playing pickleball with a hearing impairment. Her story highlights both the challenges and the joys of inclusion in the sport. Here's what they discussed.
 

Can you please introduce yourself?

“Hello! My name is Kylie Tomlin, and this year I registered to play in the Tasmanian Pickleball Tournament for the first time. I was born with CMV (Cytomegalovirus) and diagnosed as deaf at 15 months. During the tournament, I had an interpreter present to assist me with my communication, particularly with my pickleball partners and to understand the score as my matches progressed.”
 

How did you get into playing pickleball?

“I am used to playing tournaments. At age 9, I started playing basketball, and by 13 or 14, I was representing Australia at the Special Olympics. It was an amazing time in my life, and I can still remember how surprised I was when they called out my name. I was the captain of the team and travelled to St Paul, Mississippi. I played basketball for about 20 years before having my son.

About a year ago, I first read about pickleball in the Port Sorell Council newsletter, advertising the U3A program. I met Ali Wheatley, who got me involved and showed me what paddle I could use. I went to the Port Sorell Club, and there were some older ladies playing, and they were all very nice. I then met Brent Dean, who is a very good player, and he taught me how to play. I now play 4-5 times a week and love it!”
 

What did you play in the Tasmanian Pickleball Championships?

On Saturday, I played in the women’s doubles event (19+ 2.5-2.99) and then mixed doubles (35+ 2.5 - 2.99) on Sunday. We lost in the women’s, but I really, really enjoyed it - c’est la vie! And then on Sunday, my original partner pulled out, so I had a new partner, and my interpreter was a bit late which made things challenging at first. Once my interpreter arrived, we were able to communicate well , and we even taught my partner, Peter, how to sign the score. Peter tried to sign, and this was great. I have really, really enjoyed the tournament and would like to come again.”
 

What are some of the challenges you face on the court?

“Communication is a real barrier for me and others like me to be able to participate in sport. When I don’t have an interpreter, people can communicate with me by text messages or pen and paper. I am trying to encourage other deaf people to play pickleball, and I am keen for Pickleball Tasmania to encourage that.”
 
What do you love most about playing pickleball?
“The best thing about pickleball is that there are so many people to meet. I have met the people at my club, but it’s been so good to meet people outside of the club, like Kerry from Pickleball Australia, who gave me the details for the Australian Deaf Games to be held on the Sunshine Coast, 8-10 July 2026.
I look forward to participating in the Tasmanian Pickleball Tournament in 2027!”
 
A massive thank you to Kylie for sharing her story and to Wendy Hudson and Lee-Anne Knight from Pickleball Tasmania for putting this together.
 
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