It was the shot heard 'round the world...

[00:00:00] Speaker A: It's good to see you again. [00:00:02] Speaker B: Thank you. Same. [00:00:03] Speaker A: We saw you this weekend, just briefly. You were playing, so I couldn't bug you and give you a high five for being an awesome, nasty nelsoner. [00:00:12] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:00:14] Speaker A: I don't know if you've ever heard our podcast before, and we like to get fun people on. We had Zayn Navratil on the Pro a while back. We've had some fun people in the last few weeks. We have a guy that's doing a really cool app that he'll be on. He was on the one that launched. [00:00:29] Speaker C: Today, I think the one that launched. [00:00:30] Speaker A: Today or last week? [00:00:31] Speaker C: Maybe last week. Last Friday. [00:00:32] Speaker A: And I was like, we got to get Mariana on here. [00:00:35] Speaker B: Nice. Thank you. [00:00:36] Speaker A: Thank you for invite, of course. Did anyone else ask you to. To get on their podcast? [00:00:42] Speaker B: Yes, actually, this one is my number four, I think. [00:00:47] Speaker C: Oh, nice. [00:00:48] Speaker A: That's amazing. What other ones were you on? [00:00:51] Speaker B: Well, I wasn't the one. The same. I, I have, I've been on his podcast. [00:00:57] Speaker A: Okay. [00:00:58] Speaker B: Probably the, it's gonna be out this week. [00:01:03] Speaker A: Okay. [00:01:04] Speaker B: I, I, I, I did one yesterday with a lady from Washington and I have, I've been another one. These guys is three guys. I don't know for where they are, but I think they are from New New York or New Jersey, something like that. But yeah. [00:01:26] Speaker A: That's crazy. [00:01:27] Speaker B: You guys. Yeah. [00:01:28] Speaker A: Are we the only ones that you already knew? Are we the only ones that you already knew or did you know some of the other people? [00:01:35] Speaker B: No, you are the, you are the first ones. Well, that's because you're the, the lady from Washington. She is, she's one of. I have a friend from racquetball from Venezuela and she played with him in Washington. So they was talking about the video and whatever, and my friend told her, oh, I know Mariana. And she said, oh, my God, can you please help me to bring him? And yeah. [00:02:02] Speaker A: That's awesome. Is it weird being all of a sudden, like, Internet famous? [00:02:08] Speaker B: Well, yeah, I guess right now I am. [00:02:12] Speaker C: Right that way. [00:02:13] Speaker A: You've always been famous here, people. This is something that we can probably say that people won't know, but you hit serves about as fast as anybody does. We had, we had the radar gun for you right when you came out to our March tournament. [00:02:28] Speaker B: Yes, I won the speed serve. Whatever. [00:02:31] Speaker A: Yeah, I remember you won the speed challenge for women. I think you hit 71. [00:02:36] Speaker C: That's proud. [00:02:37] Speaker B: Do you remember, I think was. Yeah, 71, 73, something like that. [00:02:42] Speaker C: Yeah, it was fast. [00:02:43] Speaker A: Yeah. We had a really fancy system Set. [00:02:46] Speaker B: Up, I think, because I came from racquetball and, you know, racquetball is the most. The faster sports with rackets and I mean, talking about racks. One rocket and a ball. [00:03:00] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:03:02] Speaker B: I think that is easy for me, like, I guess hit hard and especially on my serve. I think the key is usually when I. When I do myself, I. I use a lot my hips instead move. Move forward, you know, So I feel like that swing is the one. Like, I gave me that power. But. Yeah. [00:03:23] Speaker A: All right, I'm gonna bring us in with some music, but we're gonna use what you've already said, so we're off to the races. Hang on tight, Sky. She says that we're her fourth. I feel a little disappointed that we're not quite as ahead of the game as. Yeah, I'm Kevin Huff here with the lovely Sky Huff. And we've got Mariana Paredes, and she is Internet famous. [00:03:46] Speaker C: Internet famous because of one of your favorite moves. [00:03:49] Speaker A: It is my favorite move in all of pickleball. She nasty Nelson for the win in a gold match. Mariana, where were you guys playing? [00:04:01] Speaker B: That division was 5, 0 open. Age? Between 30 and 39 age. [00:04:08] Speaker A: And it was it at an open, like a US Open or something? [00:04:11] Speaker B: Yeah, it was in Naples, like two weeks ago in. In the U. S. Open. Correct. [00:04:15] Speaker A: That is just perfection. [00:04:18] Speaker C: What I love about it is it took courage. It took courage. [00:04:22] Speaker A: Mariana doesn't have that issue. [00:04:25] Speaker C: It would take me. It would take courage for me. [00:04:27] Speaker A: We know her well enough to know that she'll do whatever she wants, but set it up for us. Tell us why you got to the point where that's what you wanted to do to finish the game. [00:04:35] Speaker B: Well, I mean, you know, that was. That was our last match. That was the final. We was playing two of the three games. And at the beginning of the match, these ladies came to me and they told me, like, you, we don't want to play to you. Even when I. I even know who that. I mean, I. I don't know. I. I didn't know these ladies. And I said, like, okay, I mean, I didn't say anything. So the first game was super tight. It was like 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3. Like, I mean, we all the time be close, one of each, like our team and my team. And then actually we won the first game, like a 12:10 and the second. And in that game, yeah, they was doing the same. They were doing the same thing. Like, they told me at the beginning, they was playing more to my friend and putting. Putting all the Pressure to her. And then the second game we. We made some mistakes and. And then we lost the second. The second game they played more to her and. And at some point my part she told me like hey, I'm really sorry. I make. I'm making so many mistakes. And I told her like, hey, you playing more than me. You're doing great. [00:05:52] Speaker A: Right? [00:05:52] Speaker B: I just keep. Keep doing it, keep doing it, keep fighting and I'm gonna try to see if I can poach more or you know, like try to be. To be more aggressive and try to help you in some way. But at that point I feel my work was like a more keep my partner positive and with no stress and trying to work a teamwork. And then on the tie break it was the same thing. We start like a 1, 1, 2 2. And then when we watch 44 we. I feel like they started playing a little bit more to me and. And I just started doing a really good shots and we made. They hit us some. Some points out and then we was. We won step four. But you know, like that day was super hard. We was already playing a lot of games and my panel was like a kind of pressure. So I just. I mean I didn't plan this. That was just something that came to my mind in three seconds. I think. I just think create all this idea in my mind. I thought like okay, I'm going to do this in the worst case if I miss we still have having six points on difference and I guess we can just come back and try again. So. And plus that she the lady like I hit. She just gave him the. She just basically gave me the candy because she was. She just moved too much to the center line. And and you know that was like. As soon I saw her moving I my. In my mind I was like okay, I'm going to try. Obviously I never expecting like I never was My intention was never hit her in the face because obvious that that is just. That is just like another. Another level. But you know she was kind of short and. And as soon as I serve she does a little bit. [00:08:03] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:08:04] Speaker B: And. And that's why like the boss hit her between. Between the paddle and her face. And I mean it works. You know. And. And obviously I think on the comments and. And around all the social medias because the video. The video right now is super viral. It's in yout Facebook Tick Tock. Reddit is newsletters everywhere. Some friend had told me, oh we saw this is in Vietnam, in Africa, in Asia. I mean this is a lot actually One of the videos right now have. Have more like a 1:1 of 1 of a million of views. So that's insane. [00:08:48] Speaker A: Wow. [00:08:50] Speaker B: And. And like other people like oh I. I can get some people like they are not agree with this, but at the end of the day, people don't understand this is a game. I'm not playing there for Reg. This is a tournament. And most of these people, they even know the rules. And when, when I. And this can happen in any sports. I mean all the sport have different rules. And if this is part of the rules of unbeatable, why you can use that? You know, I mean it's, it's. I just saw opportunity and I just took it. Yes, it works. I mean even when. When I was. When I was winning 10 4, I just decide to quick to finish the. To finish the. I decide finish the game more quickly. And that's. And worse. I mean I think the best. The best players on any sports know the rules of, of each sport. [00:09:45] Speaker A: You know, that's right. [00:09:46] Speaker B: And, and if you have this. I mean if you can use these strategies or whatever you want to call it players or whatever. [00:09:52] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:09:53] Speaker B: And you can and you want you, and you want to. You. You have the opportunity to do it. Why not you know. [00:09:58] Speaker A: Yeah. Take your advantage. [00:10:00] Speaker C: Absolutely. [00:10:01] Speaker B: Especially when you, when you are seen in all the last two games, you, you are seeing myself is. I feel like, okay, I know chief can serve hard and she serves really good. Why you, why you. I mean, why you are not running the last point, you know, on the last few points. [00:10:21] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:10:22] Speaker B: And. And by the way, I mean I say I, I. Some people say like, oh, why. Why then you celebrate. I did. I never celebrate because I hit her. I celebrate because with that point I won the tournament. And, and, and, and you know, I mean that was super cool for me. It's a. It's like I. My first tournament, my first U.S. open was last year and I get bronze last year. And so like a. I feel like get out a gold medal in, in a tournament like a US Opening something really cool. [00:10:57] Speaker C: Definitely. [00:10:59] Speaker B: And, and that was all. I mean my, my vamos was because, you know, like now the gold medal is mine. Not because I hit her or whatever. And then obviously I say sorry to her because even like I promise you is that when I hit her in the chest, on the, on the arm or shoulder, whatever. I even say sorry because it is what it is. It's part of the game. But because I hit her kind of the face, I say to her, sorry, but she was so pissed. And I feel like, oh, my God, this lady's gonna hit my face so bad. [00:11:33] Speaker C: Oh, no. [00:11:33] Speaker B: Actually, if you saw in the video, her partner tried to walk a little bit between me and her, but then the ref told me, like, hey, just back up and get out the car. You're fine. So I just did that. And then I come back to the ref and I say, hey, thank you. I mean, because she did a great job. And after that, like, I don't know, like 20 minutes after the match, I saw her. She even was on the metal stand or whatever. She even was there to take the picture or anything. And I saw her close to my tent, and I walk again to her and I said, like, I really want to talk with you. I'm so sorry about. I mean, because my intention was never hit you. But she still, at that point, she was still so mad and she said, get out my face. I don't want to see you, blah, blah, blah. And I say like, I'm sorry, whatever, and I just walk away. But yeah, I mean, at the end of the day, I just feel like you have to use the rules for win, especially if you're in a tournament. If it's in a tournament. And, and yeah, I mean, I'm happy with my decision. Obviously my intention was the face, but yeah, I think was great. [00:12:56] Speaker A: We do too. I especially do. I've been cheering. Every time I see it, I, I absolutely love it. And, and like you, Mariana, I don't love it because you hit her in the face and you weren't trying. It's obvious you weren't trying to, because she totally moves into it. Right? [00:13:09] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:13:10] Speaker A: But I love that you saw an opportunity to capture the gold medal and you took it. I love aggressive play. I don't love playing to not lose. I love playing to win. And you played to win. And I thought that was fantastic. [00:13:25] Speaker B: Yeah. And I mean, like, if people know, like the people I'm hitting in Indy and when people, some people, like, they don't like my style of game, but the people don't understand. I have been in sports all my life. I was part of the national team on racquetball for 10 years and I was playing in the most top high level around the world. And I came from. I mean, that is natural for me be a competitive player. And sometimes I just like to push myself, even if I have to scream or celebrate or yell a lot of things like that. That just seems like a hell me to keep my, my momentum going and, and, and, and keep my Intensity because otherwise I just can stay here and play those with my daughter, you know, So I do. [00:14:24] Speaker A: Sky and I were talking about the other day. I said you, you need to understand. I go, sometimes you talk to me during the game and I don't sound like me because I'm in a completely different mode. I'm. I'm much more intense. I'm trying to let the testosterone flow. I, you know, I, I want to be more aggressive. I don't want to be nice. I don't want to be mean, but I don't want to be nice. Right. And I want to win. And, and so sometimes that, that, you know, that brings out the competitor in you, so to speak. And I'm not always proud of my moments when I, when I'm like that. But. But I'm going to play that way if I want to win. Otherwise I might as well just play wreck and never play in a tournament, right? [00:15:02] Speaker B: Correct. That's why you play tournaments. You play tournament because you want to win. No, no, for k. No, because I want to be nice with you. You know, obviously that doesn't mean I'm going to hit your face, but I mean you, I mean you have to do whatever you want to do for win, you know. [00:15:19] Speaker A: Are you looking to try and go pro at some point? [00:15:23] Speaker B: Yeah, that is something like I have been working especially at. I think this year right now I'm trying to. To drill more, have more session on just drill and try to be more in shape and for, you know, in that way I can prevent injuries. Right now I feel so good and I'm working hard to that Obviously I think right now the hard part for me is because I have two kids and we don't have like that. I mean I don't have more family here and it's only me, my husband and my two kids. And obviously sometimes I mean, I think that is my main thing right now. My kids, they need me and I can be like a full time pickable player because that means like I have to travel and be more focused on this right now. I'm gonna try to play a lot more tournament because. Right. They're gonna be on vacations. This tomorrow is their last day. But yeah, I mean obviously I really want so bad at least try to play professional. That is something like I know I can be there. And I guess, I mean, I guess no, I just, I'm working right now to be there and see if I have lucky to be there soon. Obviously, I think like, I think you have to be a Little bit lucky, too, in know people or met the correct people to be there or for made the way more easy. I'm talking about sponsors and all this stuff because obviously pay for all this, all this tournament, the fees, the flights, the hotel, the food, everything is kind of expensive if you don't have help. [00:17:16] Speaker A: Yes. [00:17:17] Speaker B: And I hope, like, I mean, about. Because this video now, right now is viral and I'm getting a lot of views on my Instagram profile, for example, maybe, I mean, someone want to help me or something. And I mean, I'm. I'm down to do it and I'm down to at least try to play some tournaments, of course. But yeah, I mean, I have to wait and see. [00:17:45] Speaker A: Yeah. Okay. Well, I'm excited for you and I'm really glad to hear that, you know, that you want to keep progressing in your career and go after some of that pro stuff. Yeah, I'm excited for you. That's awesome. Do you have any other questions? I told her we'd try to. We grabbed her in the middle of the day when she was able to just meet with us for a bit, and I said 20 minutes, and it's almost 20 minutes. [00:18:03] Speaker C: So how old are your kids? [00:18:05] Speaker B: Well, my kids, I have a daughter, she have 11. And I have a boy, he has seven. [00:18:10] Speaker C: Oh, great. Ages. Do they play? [00:18:14] Speaker B: They play sometime for fun, but my daughter, right now, she's practicing volleyball. [00:18:19] Speaker C: Oh. [00:18:19] Speaker B: Yeah, My son, he's. He played baseball, of course. [00:18:24] Speaker A: Okay. [00:18:24] Speaker C: Of course. [00:18:25] Speaker A: Super fun for them. [00:18:26] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:18:27] Speaker C: Well, you know, it's funny because when you are. When you're a mom and you have some sort of goal, whether it's in. In your case, going pro in a sport that you love, or if you're a business owner, there's a lot of mom guilt because you might be taken away for a tournament or, you know, a business meeting, and you might miss something important. And, you know, we. We had a business when the kids were young. We. We're still business owners, but we. We had a business that took me many hours away from the kids. I think I worked 14 to 16 hours a day. And so, you know, my kids are grown now, and I ask them about that time, did you miss me? Did you feel like you didn't get what you needed from me as a mom? Like, yeah, I still feel guilty. And both of them will say, no, we love that experience. This is what you taught me, mom. And they'll rattle off what they learned from me during that part of my life. And it's hard for me to hear Because I think I still missed many key things about their childhood. But at the same time, it's not something that they could have learned from school, and it wasn't something that I could have taught them without going through that experience. And so it'll be fun to you progress in your career, and it'll be fun to see how your kids use what they've learned from you for their futures as well. [00:20:02] Speaker B: Yeah, I think I agree with you, but that is, this is something like, I talk with my kids too, and they, I mean, they're happy to see your mom happy. You know, I feel like some moms. Yeah, we're talking about moms. They, I mean, most of these women, they just sacrifice all their life to be there with the kids. And I get that point, but I'm one of that person. Like, I feel like, oh, you have, you. You have to do the things you like to. It doesn't matter if you have kids or. No, I mean, your, Your kids know you. You love them and, and not necessarily. You have to be there 100%. And I think my kids know, like, I'm going to be there all the time, but they know too mom is. This is something that can make their mom happy. And if I'm happy, they know they're going to be happy too. And they love. When I'm in a tournament, for example, this, this weekend I play a tournament, and I was in the final and my boy was there and, and he was so exciting watching, watching me yelling, saying bamboo and, and all this stuff. And when I received the medal, I. I gave my medal to him and I told him, hey, buddy, we win this together. Thanks for being here. And he feel like, oh, mom, wow. Thank you. So, I mean, he was like a. So excited because, because of that. And, and yeah, I mean, but I think, like, I'm one of these person. Like, I believe that things happen for. For one reason. And I feel like this video is going to help me in some way to bring to me any help. And it's funny because I had two funny thoughts about this. The first one is my husband and my son. Their names are Nelson. [00:22:03] Speaker A: So. [00:22:07] Speaker B: When I told them about, oh, this is nasty Nelson, my husband was dying laughing so bad. Yeah. And. And the other one was like, I never was expecting someone was there recording this video and doing. And doing all these comments and, and, and, you know, like, was super. I mean, I, I feel super weird when the first person tagged me on the video, on the first video and said, like, Mariana, this is, this is you And I said, like, oh, my God, what is this? I was so, like, I mean, I wasn' because I never was expecting that. And. And I think the guy is not receiving the. The enough praise for that. And I. In some point, if he see this, I really think. I mean, I. I'm so. I want to say thank you because you made this for me. And. And. And I mean, this did. I. I want to be him if. If I go pro at some point, I'm gonna buy him for at least all of the tournaments for free. Just because the video. [00:23:14] Speaker A: All right. [00:23:18] Speaker B: They're a family from. I think they are from. They are from Kentucky and. And. And they are from Kentucky and. And they're a huge family. And all this family play pickleball. And also they. They, like, they work with Legos or something. Conventions and professional handlings, maybe. So. So, yeah. Yeah, it was the handling. [00:23:44] Speaker A: No way. Okay. That's awesome. [00:23:46] Speaker B: Yes. [00:23:46] Speaker A: I didn't know that. [00:23:48] Speaker B: Yes. That was the guy. [00:23:49] Speaker A: All right, well, I'm gonna ask you. [00:23:51] Speaker B: Watching all that. [00:23:52] Speaker A: Oh, that's great. We'll have to reach out to them. They do. You're right. They're. They're big in Legos. Like, they're very popular. They're super viral in Legos. [00:23:59] Speaker B: Yeah. And, yeah, I just want to say thank you for the video. [00:24:02] Speaker A: Okay. I call them the first family of pickleball in Indiana. [00:24:06] Speaker B: You know the family. All the family play. [00:24:09] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, all of them. Yeah, Yeah, a bunch of them. Yeah. They're great people. All right, last question. We already know what you're going to answer, so. But this is going to be my. The question I ask you. Anyway. Last question. Here it is. If you knew you were being recorded and it was going to get all these views, would you still do it? Oh, all day, she says, I love it. Mariana. Hey. Thank you so much for being on here with us, buddy. [00:24:33] Speaker B: Yeah, of course. Thank you so much for inviting me. And the last thing I want to say for all that people. Like, I'm saying, like, that is not fair. That is not cool. That is not. That is, you know, like, that is not. It's nothing like a looking, like, it's not looking beautiful, you know, looking good. I just want to say, like, I'm. I'm receiving more. Like, more love than hate. [00:24:58] Speaker A: More love. Yeah. [00:24:59] Speaker B: And. And I'm just do. And I just did something like Kaisen is a rule, and I feel like I don't. I didn't do anything wrong. [00:25:06] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:25:07] Speaker B: And. And I mean. And I just say, I just did my vamos. Because I won the tournament, not because I hit her. That's all. [00:25:18] Speaker A: Nothing but love over here, my friend. [00:25:19] Speaker C: Love from us, for sure. [00:25:21] Speaker A: All right, tell everybody that we're ahead of the game and so are you.