Jackie Kawamoto recently revealed that she’s engaged to her longtime partner, Jackson Lindquist, just ahead of the MLP Finals.

The couple has been together for nearly six years, making the moment even more special as Kawamoto said yes to the proposal.

“I knew he had gotten the ring, so it was a semi-surprise for me. When my team advanced to Newport, Jackson and I had the idea of going to Yosemite after the event,” she said. “He had a couple weeks off before starting a new job, we both love exploring new places, and neither of us had been to Yosemite before, so it seemed like a good time to make a quick trip out of it. Many times, when you’re on these pickleball trips, you’re so busy you don’t ever have time to explore the area.” 

Lindquist proposed early into their trip. 

“I think he was a little nervous when he proposed. Our first day in the park was Tuesday the 18^th and we did a nine-mile hike that morning. After exploring Yosemite Valley in the afternoon, he asked if we could do one last quick hike at a cool spot he had read about. It was a hike above the famous ‘Tunnel View’ which gives you an even better look at the park’s most prominent features, without the crowds,” explained Kawamoto. 

“It was funny because at one point during the hike I thought we were going the wrong way and told him we should just turn around, and he said, ‘Just trust me!’ Shortly after that, we found the overlook and it was super beautiful and peaceful. We had the spot completely to ourselves. That’s where he proposed. Then, we immediately called our families to share the news.”

Of course, she couldn’t have been happier to accept.

It really was a trip of a lifetime.

Kawamoto actually met her future husband through pickleball.

In 2020, while passing through Indianapolis, Lindquist entered the same pickleball tournament as Kawamoto.

“We sort of noticed each other at the tournament, and then a few weeks later he messaged me on Facebook and asked if I wanted to play mixed doubles in a tournament in Florida that I was signed up for,” she revealed. “I said yes because he had a good rating, obviously.”

The pair actually claimed silver. And they instantly hit it off as a blind date partnership. 

“Blind date partners were more common back then, especially at the amateur level, so we are kind of a classic pickleball love story,” said Kawamoto. 

Through the pandemic, they kept their relationship strong, spending three years long-distance while Lindquist attended law school.

Now reunited in Indianapolis, they’re living together and beginning to plan their wedding.

“We’ve been together for a while already, but we're both so excited to start this next chapter in our lives. Jackson’s my biggest fan, and he can sort of keep up with me on the pickleball court,” said Kawamoto. “He’s helped me navigate my pickleball-related contracts and he gets along great with my family, so he fits perfectly into my life. I’m so grateful that pickleball brought us together.”

Her twin sister Jade Kawamoto is engaged as well.

“Jade hasn’t planned her wedding yet, so we’ll see who makes it to the altar first,” she concluded.

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