Author: Elizabeth Werner

After an extensive search, Pickleball Canada is pleased to announce the hiring of Gloria Wipf in the position of Sport Manager.

Originally from Lethbridge, Alberta, Gloria has had a passion for sports since she was a child and played volleyball, basketball, ball hockey, and she is currently a ten-pin bowler. 

Gloria’s pickleball experience includes being the President of Parkland Pickleheads Pickleball Club, the first Canadian pickleball Certified Referee in Canada, a Level 1 Pickleball Certified Coach, a Tournament Director for six Pickleball Canada sanctioned tournaments, and a 4.5+ pickleball player.  “Pickleball Canada is thrilled to announce the addition of Gloria Wipf as our new Sport Manager”, expressed Pickleball Canada President Val Vollmin. “Gloria brings a wealth of pickleball knowledge and experience to this position!”  

Gloria’s professional experience started with earning a Diploma in Criminal Justice and Corrections at Lethbridge Community College, which continued into a long career in law enforcement. 

“I am thrilled to have Gloria join the staff of Pickleball Canada”, said Carla Anderson, Executive Director of Pickleball Canada. “Her extensive pickleball knowledge and experience will be a great asset to PCO at all levels of our sport”.

Welcome to the team Gloria!

In April 2023, Pickleball Canada joined forces with USA Pickleball and La Liga Profesional de Pickleball Mexico to form the Pickleball Federation of the Americas (PFA) in order to promote the growth of pickleball throughout the Western Hemisphere.  Since the launch, the PFA has expanded with six additional countries from South America and Central America, and the Caribbean region joining as members. 

One of the PFA’s goals is to promote international competition, including the organization of continental championships and other major events.  As such, the PFA is thrilled to announce the first ever Americas Championship, which allows Canadians to play in a continental competition. It will be held at the Cabo Sports Complex in Los Cabos, Mexico from November 26 to December 2, 2023. Registration for the tournament is now open and will remain open until November 15th, 2023. 

“International tournaments are an important step in our progress of becoming a unified, recognized sport.  What better place to be than Mexico in November! Come join us!” said Val Vollmin, Pickleball Canada President. 

The competition will include Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, Men’s Singles, Mixed Doubles, and Women’s Singles. The tournament will also include four different skill levels which are advanced (4.5 & 5.0), intermediate (4.0), beginner (3.5), and social (2.5 & 3.0). 

In addition to the pickleball events, there will be many activities that participants will have the opportunity to enjoy.  These activities include Film Festival Night at the Los Cabos International Film Festival, the “Dinner in Blanc – Dink for a Cause” which is a funding event for Save the Children and Los Cabos Children’s Foundation, a “Dink for a Cause” clinic, which is a fundraiser for the same charity, and Tequila Jose Cuervo Pickleball Party Night. 

Los Cabos is a prime tourist destination located in the most southern point of the Baja Peninsula. It has some of the world’s most luxurious hotels, spas, and amazing views of the Sea of Cortez, which boarders the city. Los Cabos offers a premium tourist experience with plenty activities and adventures. There is always something to discover in Los Cabos.      

“We’re delighted that our continental partners in Mexico, led by Javier Regalado, have stepped onto the court and are hosting the inaugural The Americas Championship” comments Tony Casey, a Global Affairs volunteer with Pickleball Canada.

To register for this event please head to  https://pickleballbrackets.com/ptd.aspx?eid=528b8467-ce50-4526-9c3e-4bb723f376c2 . Registration will remain open until November 15 , 2023. 

For more information, please contact: 

Tournament Organizers 

Mike Hoxie – pickleballisgreat@gmail.com

Eduardo Martinez – Eduardo.martinez@lppm.mx

Vancouver, British Columbia

withinUs™, the fastest growing health and wellness company headquartered in Canada has fittingly partnered with the governing body of the fastest growing sport in Canada: Pickleball Canada. This partnership launched at the 2023 Pickleball Canada National Championship taking place from August 23rd to the 27th in Regina, Saskatchewan. This strategic alliance marks a significant step forward in the realms of health, wellness, and sports. withinUs and Pickleball Canada are both ambitious and fast-growing, and this partnership is set to empower pickleball athletes and enthusiasts across Canada.

The premium-select catalog of health and wellness products that withinUs offers assists and supports maintaining and promoting an active lifestyle for pickleball athletes and enthusiasts alike. The withinUs™ flagship product TruMarine® Collagen helps promote collagen synthesis, supporting muscle recovery, bone and skin health, and relieves pain associated with osteoarthritis and joint pain, which can be common amongst athletes from all sports, including pickleball players.

A popular product that withinUs offers is the ReHydrate + TruMarine® Collagen. This Health Canada approved electrolyte product will be provided for participating athletes at the National Pickleball Championships. Available in jars, and convenient single serving stick packs, this premium electrolyte sports drink mix is available in four organic flavors – Lemon, Tropical, Peach and Watermelon + Lime. ReHydrate maximizes hydration and combats electrolyte imbalance and dehydration – the perfect pairing for pickelball.

withinUs™ founder, Tami Nasu, expressed her excitement for this collaboration, stating “this is an extremely exciting partnership for us. As enthusiasts of health and wellness, we are thrilled to help inspire Pickleball athletes to reach the height of their health and well-being.” She went on to say, “This collaboration is a crossroads where health meets excellence, and we could not think of a better organization to partner with”.

“We are very excited to partner with a Canadian company such as withinUs who creates products that help with health and wellness”, said Val Vollmin, President of Pickleball Canada. “As pickleball is a true sport for all for life, the withinUs products will help players of all ages and at all levels of play.”

withinUs™ Natural Health and Pickleball Canada’s exciting new collaboration brings together two rapidly expanding organizations with the joint goal of improving health and wellness amongst Canadians. withinUs’™ premium grade health products helped support pickleball players during last week’s National Championship through product samples and withinUs™ is excited to build off this engagement during the 2024 Championships and beyond too.

For further information, please visit withinus.ca and pickleballcanada.org

About withinUs™
withinUs™ is a female-founded, independently-owned, Canadian company based out of Vancouver, B.C. Since 2013, withinUs has provided premium-select and innovative natural health products. withinUs was the first company to offer a premium select-grade marine collagen peptide to the North American market, and is the fastest growing health and wellness company in Canada.

About Pickleball Canada
Pickleball Canada is the national governing body for the sport of pickleball in Canada. The Canadian Pickleball Association was established in 2009 and then incorporated as Pickleball Canada in 2011. The organization works to promote and develop the sport at all levels, from grassroots to high-performance. Their mission is to promote the growth and development of pickleball across the country by providing leadership, resources, and opportunities for players of all ages and skill levels. Pickleball Canada is responsible for the coordination and delivery of pickleball events across the country, including the National and Regional Championships, which brings together top players from across Canada to compete for the title of national champion. With a growing number of players and clubs across the country, pickleball is Canada’s fastest growing sport and Pickleball Canada is at the forefront of this exciting movement. For more information, please contact info@pickleballcanada.org or visit pickleballcanada.org

Contact:
Jenna Laurita
withinUs
General Manager
jenna@withinus.ca
778-899-5337

Dane Gomez
Sponsorship Canada
Manager, Corporate Partnerships
dane@sponsorshipcanada.com
647-784-4112

On Sunday, August 27, the 11^th Pickleball Canada National Championship, with its first ever title sponsor Myoflex®, officially wrapped.  The tournament was held in Regina, Saskatchewan, and hosted by Pickleball Regina, with over 600 athletes competing in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles events. Events were further broken down into age-based categories, and skill/age-based categories.

“What a fantastic 5 days of pickleball in Regina! The 2023 Myoflex® Pickleball Canada National Championship was the place to be.  With the planning and implementation of the host committee, and the support of our terrific national sponsors, Myoflex®, Franklin, Skechers, and withinUs, Nationals was a great success!  And this was the first time Nationals included a title sponsor.  There were approximately 630 players registered from across the country from Vancouver Island, British Columbia to Newfoundland. For those in attendance, or those who watched through streaming (through CBC Sports, Access Now TV, or the YouTube channel set up by the local committee), you had the opportunity to see some of the best players in the country compete for medals” says Pickleball Canada President, Val Vollmin.

From August 23-27, 2023, the host of this championship event, Pickleball Regina Inc., and all of its amazing volunteers, put on a spectacular event. The event took place in two venues; the Viterra International Trade Centre and the Queen City Pickleball Hub with 33 courts. “Pickleball Regina was honoured to host the Myoflex® 2023 Pickleball Canada National Championship. The volunteer local organizing committee supported by many others, worked tirelessly for months to plan for this event, the largest pickleball tournament ever held in Saskatchewan. Feedback from athletes, volunteers, sponsors and spectators was incredibly positive and encouraging. Hearing the comments made the hard work rewarding for everyone. We always plan for excellence and really achieved our goals with the tremendous success of the Nationals!”, said Randy Dove, Chair & President of Pickleball Regina Inc.

The tournament showcased many exciting moments for Pickleball history, including Pickleball Canada’s International Ambassador, and pickleball professional, Steve Deakin’s successful return to the Nationals, by winning three gold medals, in the Mixed Doubles Pro event, Men’s Doubles Aged event, and Men’s Doubles Pro event.

Pickleball Canada would like to give a huge thank you to Pickleball Regina Inc., the 200 volunteers who gave up their time to host this event, the 100 officials who refereed and oversaw hundreds of matches to ensure fair competition, and our sponsors who all played a part in making the Myoflex® 2023 Pickleball Canada National Championship the success it was.   

 Want to relive some of the action?

• Streams of the 4 championship courts (and one master feed with commentary) are viewable at:

https://www.youtube.com/@LocalOrganizingCommittee

• CBC Gem – in the coming days, highlights from 2023 Nationals will be viewable via CBC Gem

One very memorable match point (featuring Steve Deakin) was caught on camera. Catch it here: https://fb.watch/mN3132x9S9/

After an extensive search, Pickleball Canada is pleased to announce the hiring of Elizabeth Werner in the position of Communications and Project Coordinator.

Originally from Kitchener, Ontario, Elizabeth has had a passion for sports since at the age of five. She earned an Honours Bachelor of Human Kinetics, and is soon completing her Masters of Human Kinetics with a Concentration in Sport Management.  “We are so excited to have Elizabeth working with us and be a part of our growing team”, said Val Vollmin, President of Pickleball Canada. 

Her past professional and volunteer experiences, including the Ottawa Sport and Entertainment Group, Sledge Hockey Eastern Ontario, the University of Ottawa Sports Business Club, will serve Elizabeth well in her new role.  “Having Elizabeth join Pickleball Canada is key to having the capacity to move projects forward, and communicate more frequently with our members and others who love this sport so much,” said Carla Anderson, Executive Director of Pickleball Canada.

Welcome to the team Elizabeth!

MARKHAM, ON – July 18, 2023 – Pickleball Canada and Exzell Pharma Inc. announced today that Myoflex® will be the title partner of the Pickleball Canada National Championships from 2023 through to 2025. Today’s announcement took place in Markham, ON, home to Exzell Pharma Inc., with national and local media, as well as City of Markham dignitaries, Mayor Frank Scarpitti and councillor Isa Lee, with local pickleball players in attendance.

The title partnership for the National Championships further deepens the Myoflex® and Pickleball Canada relationship, with Myoflex® having been previously announced as the official topical pain relief of the organization, and an official partner of the Pickleball Canada National and Regional Championship tournaments for 2023 through 2025.

View today’s announcement by visiting the following link:

https://fb.watch/lSTxkyFDu6/

Learn more about the pain relief products offered by Myoflex® by visiting myoflex.ca.

Registration for the Myoflex®2023 Pickleball Canada National Championship

Players can register for the Myoflex® 2023 Pickleball Canada National Championship tournament until August 9, 2023 at the following link:

https://pickleballbrackets.com/ptd.aspx?eid=ca63b0be-ac12-4b68-b4b9-689f1abfb4cd

For more information on this partnership, please contact:

Dane Gomez

dane@sponsorshipcanada.com   

C: 647-784-4112

MARKHAM, ON – June 23, 2023 – Pickleball Canada, the National Sport Organization for pickleball, and Canada’s fastest growing sport, is pleased to announce a multiyear partnership today with Exzell Pharma Inc. Exzell Pharma Inc., brand house of Myoflex® , becomes the official and exclusive topical pain relief of the organization. This partnership is set to kickoff today at Pickleball Canada’s Atlantic Regional Championship taking place from June 23-25 in Bedford, Nova Scotia, and marks the first sports partnership for Myoflex®.

“Pickleball Canada is thrilled to be launching a new long-term partnership with Myoflex® today,” said Peter Milovanovic, President of Pickleball Canada. “Pickleball players love to play very frequently, so it is great to partner with a company that can help players keep moving and to feel healthy on and off the courts.”

Pickleball Canada’s latest addition of Myoflex® as a partner, highlights an impressive and growing list of partners for the National Sport Organization in five months of bringing on board the experts at sponsorship agency partner Sponsorship Canada, who facilitated this partnership.

Given pickleball players at Pickleball Canada’s Regional and National Championships are from a broad spectrum of ages which may range from 16-75 years, the suite of Myoflex® products will help ease the pain caused by the joint soreness associated with the frequency of games played by those that love the game.  The odour free, topical pain relief from Myoflex® is available in three presentations: regular, maximum and extra strength.

“Myoflex® is excited to be partnering with Pickleball Canada to help continue the growth of this fantastic game at the grassroots level”, said Peter Weiler, President of Exzell Pharma Inc.  “Myoflex® has been used by active people of all ages and abilities for muscle aches, strains and pains for over 40 years.  We are proud to support such a great group of athletes playing a fun, competitive, inclusive and growing sport like pickleball.”

Players and attendees onsite will be provided with Myoflex® coupons for product discounts post-Championship. Additionally, the engagement between both parties will also feature onsite branding, social and digital media programming, and other exciting facets to be announced nearer to Pickleball Canada’s National Championship taking place from August 23-27.

For more information about Pickleball Canada, please visit pickleballcanada.org. Pickleball players and anyone interested in learning more about pain relief products from Myoflex® can visit myoflex.ca.

About Pickleball Canada

Pickleball Canada is the national governing body for the sport of pickleball in Canada. The Canadian Pickleball Association was established in 2009 and then incorporated as Pickleball Canada in 2011. The organization works to promote and develop the sport at all levels, from grassroots to high-performance. Their mission is to promote the growth and development of pickleball across the country by providing leadership, resources, and opportunities for players of all ages and skill levels. Pickleball Canada is responsible for the coordination and delivery of pickleball events across the country, including the National and Regional Championships, which brings together top players from across Canada to compete for the title of national champion. With a growing number of players and clubs across the country, pickleball is Canada’s fastest growing sport and Pickleball Canada is at the forefront of this exciting movement. For more information, please contact info@pickleballcanada.org or visit pickleballcanada.org

About Exzell Pharma Inc

Exzell Pharma is a niche pharmaceutical company that sells both pharmaceutical and natural health products into the Canadian marketplace. We are committed to improving the overall ‘quality-of-life’ of our customers. Our three long-standing brands – Swiss Natural®, Ozonol®, and Myoflex® have been sold in Canada for over 50 years, and we continue to introduce exciting new products – like EsopH®, our innovative treatment for acid reflux. Exzell Pharma continues to grow their Salinex® and PediaVit^TM brands.

After being incorporated into Biolab Pharma late last year, we are excited and driven to become a leading source of safe, effective, and affordable health products in Canada. Biolab expanded to Canada in 2017 with a research and development facility in Mississauga, Ontario. The company is now progressing toward the global market with the purchase of Exzell Pharma. The acquisition presents a major growth opportunity for both the Brazilian and Canadian markets through product portfolio expansion. The purchase of Exzell also provides a significant opportunity for growth by establishing an international export platform to other countries from Canada.

For more information on this partnership, please contact:

Dane Gomez
dane@sponsorshipcanada.com
C: 647-784-4112