Danica Patrick Threatens a Career Change as “Pickleball” Gets Her Wondering

Danica Patrick is a name that the racetracks of America will remember for a long time to come. Being the first woman to win a pole position in the NASCAR Cup Series, the range of Danica’s achievements go beyond just stock racing. The now 41-year-old did glorifying rounds in the Atlantic Championship and the IndyCar series before she came to NASCAR and secured the most top 10 finishes by a woman in the history of the sport.

Now, would someone with such a glorious past in racing consider restarting their career with a move to “Pickleball”, of all sports? A hilarious Instagram story by the Wisconsin native did just that.

The Instagram reel that set Danica Patrick off

Danica’s attention to Pickleball was kick-started by a reel shared by the @iamthirtyaf Instagram page, featuring standup comedian Christopher Barnes. In the comedic reel, Christopher posed himself as a Pickleball instructor in a jolly attempt to make fun of the sport that has been gaining fame across the country.

Terming it a sport ‘too un-athletic for tennis and too poor for golf’, Christopher went on with his little play about how he considered the sport to be a big scam.

Though Pickleball is shooting to fame only now, the game has been played since the 1960s. Currently, the fastest-growing sport in the country, according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, Pickleball was also named the official sport of the state of Washington in 2022. Mentioning that the sport was created for the elderly, Christopher joked about how every 30-year-old with ‘no stamina and bad knees’ was beginning to play the sport. Danica Patrick was clearly amused by the comedian’s reel as she reposted the satire on her own Instagram page as a story.

The question that an amused Danica had about Pickleball

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As followers of the Instagram page joined to have a laugh at the expense of Pickleball, it appears Danica did not want to miss out on the fun. Sharing the reel on her story, she jestingly questioned whether she should start playing the sport.

In the prime of her career, Danica’s popularity skyrocketed as she was considered a pop culture icon by many. Having been a magazine cover model for well-known publishers such as FHM and Sports Illustrated, she was also named by People Magazine as one of the most beautiful women in the world. Her name has also found its way into the ‘most influential people’ lists of magazines like Time and Bloomberg Businessweek on more than one occasion.

A personality like her adopting the sport of Pickleball would definitely be a sight to see and greatly jumpstart its popularity further. Nevertheless, it’s more likely that the racing legend took Christopher Barnes’ reel as just a way to tickle the funny bone in her. Even if she did consider playing the game in all seriousness, let’s hope she ends up inspiring more people, as she has done throughout her career.

Read More: “Racing Thing Was Her Idea” – $80 Million Worth Danica Patrick Unveils the Person Behind Her IndyCar & NASCAR Career