She's the number one ranked female Pickleball player in the country.

Rose Sawatzky of Morden has been playing the game for the past two years and has risen up the ranks ever since she started.

Sawatzky has competed in 10 tournaments since picking up the sport and has captured 10 gold medals along the way.

Another recent accomplishment by Sawatzky was being sponsored by Manta World Sport.

"They provide me with all my gear," said Sawatzky. "They support schools, activities, and will travel to different provinces to help people get more engaged in the sport."

Sawatzky said her ranking is a 4.0 and the highest ranking in Canada is 5.0.

It's her plan to attend tournaments in Arizona, Georgia Utah, Morden (March 10th), Regina, Saskatoon, and Nationals in Kamloops.

"I was in Arizona one year and the weather was really bad. All we could do is play volleyball or Pickleball and I didn't really know what Pickleball was. So, I decided I was going to go and join the sport," said Sawatzky.

Not only does Sawatzky enjoy playing the game, but is also working toward growing the game as much as possible by mentoring and providing Pickleball workshops.

The first such workshop is being held January 9-11th at the Emerado School with others possibly being scheduled in the future. She's been doing this by making herself available for people to contact her and she will then introduce them to the game and or help work on their skills to improve their game.

"Any age can join the group and it's really good exercise for the older crowd, who just want to get out, hit the ball, and get moving," said Sawatzky.

The energy and enthusiasm that Sawatzky brings to the sport makes her an ideal ambassador that the Pembina Valley region can be proud of.