Mercedes is now a 4 year veteran of the pickle ball wars. She says it is like “playing paddles at the beach” – something done in her native Chile. Mercedes was born and raised in Santiago, the Chilean capital. It is one of the largest cities in the Americas with a population of over 6 million people. There she attended a private Catholic School, earned a degree in Business Administration, worked two and half years in business – at a bank and an insurance company. While dancing at a disco, she met a gentlemen named Felipe. They married after dating for 3 years.
After being awarded a Ph.D. from the Wharton School of Business, Felipe took a job in Fontainbleau, France where he and Mercedes lived for two years. They have now lived in Ann Arbor with their 13 year old daughter for the past 6 years. Felipe is a professor in the School of Business at the University of Michigan. The most influential person in Mercedes’ life has been her mother, who still lives in Santiago. Her father died when she was just 14.
What Mercedes most likes about pickle ball, and about Ann Arbor as well, is the enormous diversity – so many people of different backgrounds and ages. She says the most difficult thing in pickle ball is losing. She really likes to win!
I neglected to ask Mercedes about the creative work she does. I know she’s involved in various work of an artistic nature. (this omission is the fault of my producer)
Mercedes is 45 years old, and thinks she and her family are too busy – and maybe too young – to be considering a Bucket List just yet. Her favorite color is white. She says she could be happy wearing white every day.
Footnote: My technician (someone who looks and sounds a lot like me) managed to erase part of the Mercedes tape. So, that aspect of Mercedes’ life is lost to an entire generation of pickle ball players. I am in need of a more competent technical staff.