Newcomer Kate Fahey has quickly established herself as a formidable contender in women's singles on the PPA Tour.

With two gold medals, two silvers, and a bronze over the last seven PPA tournaments, Fahey is steadily building a rather impressive resume that has earned her the respect of her peers.

That's pretty darn impressive for a player who turned pro in 2023, before quitting her job in New York City earlier this year to pursue pickleball on a full-time basis.

To say the move paid dividends is a genuine understatement.

“I had a full-time job, but I was trying to play in as many professional tournaments as I could. Going full-time with pickleball has benefitted my game because it means I just play more matches and get more opponents under my belt,” explained Fahey. “Before, I was playing a tournament every two months and it was tough not having a more consistent match lineup. That’s been the biggest benefit, being able to play more.”

Fahey previously shared that St. Louis Shock (MLP) teammate Anna Bright has also played an integral part in her success by providing valuable coaching advice and encouragement.

So, what was Fahey doing in the Big Apple before earning podium finishes aplenty?

“I was a digital product manager at American Express. I loved it,” she shared. “Everyone was so supportive, but ultimately I chose to go full-time pro pickleball because I figured that I owed myself the opportunity to give it a shot.”

Thankfully, a co-worker's invitation to play in a local tournament helped her discover a genuine passion for America's fastest-growing sport.

And the rest is history.

“Ever since then, I’ve been completely hooked,” admitted Fahey. “I got so competitive in this small, low-key tournament, and ever since then I wanted to improve and get better because it was so much fun.” 

Leaving her position at Amex wasn't an easy decision, though, which is certainly understandable.

Talk about a tough call.

“It was hard. I definitely questioned if I made a mistake. I worried if I was ruining my life by quitting my job that I love so much,” mentioned Fahey. “But, I had the support of my friends, family, and my boyfriend. They said that whatever I want to do, I’m going to make the right decision because even if it goes terribly, I can always go back to working. I was definitely a little bit nervous in that transition period, but I decided I owed it to myself to go for it and see how it goes.”

Luckily for Fahey, her supervisors were fully supportive of her commitment to pickleball. 

“My bosses knew I was in pickleball because I had been taking a lot of PTO for tournaments. When I finally told them I was thinking about it, they were so supportive and said I should go for my dream. They didn’t hesitate at all. It was awesome,” she explained. “They said they loved having me, but they wanted me to take advantage of this really cool opportunity because it only comes once in a lifetime.”

The sky really is the limit for the University of Michigan grad, who starred in the collegiate tennis ranks as a member of the Wolverines from 2015 to 2019.

And she can't wait to see what the future has in store.

“It’s been really fun,” concluded Fahey. “It gets serious, and I’m obviously extremely competitive on the court, but I’m trying to have as much fun as I can because I quit my job for this, so I should try to have as much fun as possible.”

Winning helps, of course, and she's been doing a lot of that.