January 25, 2025 (Victoria, BC) – Victoria Regional Pickleball Association (VRPA) board member, player and community health advocate Trish Fougner has been an active member in the Victoria pickleball community for the past two years. Fougner has taken her passion for living an active lifestyle and facilitating high profile athletic events to the pickleball scene, where she is introducing interested players to the sport on a weekly basis.
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Fougner, a member of the University of Victoria’s Sports Hall of Fame, has also worked locally with Victoria’s annual Times Colonist 10k (as the 2019 Race Director) and worked provincially in the lead up to the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The former track star felt the pull to get involved in the pickleball scene in 2023, but wasn’t sure how or where to start. She began by connecting Saanich residents with clinics catered towards introductory and beginner-type sessions and created a Facebook page (Saanich Pickleball) dedicated to beginner and intermediate players. She joined the VRPA board in 2024 to further her interest in getting beginners hooked.
Fast forward to the present day and Fougner’s weekly clinics have risen in popularity and now feature three main sessions per-week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) year-round at Victoria’s Majestic Park from 9:30-11:30 a.m., with Tuesday’s and Thursday’s the latest additions to the list.
“I’m not a certified instructor yet, but I wanted to get people playing and learning the rules,” said Fougner. “I had so many friends say they wanted to play or people asking ‘where can they learn’ so I felt the need to create a fun, learning environment to teach some basics. Individuals can sign up through the Meetup app online.”
While the app creates an opportunity for the public to play, players must abide by the rules of the municipal courts which doesn’t “reserve” the court but creates a group playing opportunity. More specific rules are listed in the app for each court.
“People are playing right through the winter on our outdoor courts” said Fougner. “It’s more of a challenge when playing outdoors because you have to adapt to wind, cold temperatures and sometimes rain. I believe this develops a player’s ability to adapt their game to multiple changes on the fly.”
Statistics from Pickleball Canada illustrate the sport’s rapid growth, rising from 38,848 participants in December of 2022 to 84,089 players today. The largest growth has occurred within the 18-30 year old range.
“I think the thing that’s great about pickleball is that any age group can play. There’s not a huge court to cover when you play doubles and it’s easy to learn.” Fougner explains the variety of ages and players who participate is interesting. “Never doubt the player who shows up with a knee brace who’s in the older category, looks can deceive you!”
Fougner has seen pickleball’s growth in the Capital Regional District firsthand, with approximately 400 registered members in 2023 increasing to almost 1,000 in 2025.
“I’d like to see that number keep growing,” noted Fougner. “I would like to see the beginner area continue to be a good starting point, where people can become active and healthy and begin the road to active living . In order for this to happen we need to work closely with our municipal councils and communities to ensure we have adequate court spaces and facilities to keep up with the growing demand.”
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