The sky really is the limit for Anna Leigh Waters. 

From turning pro at age 12 to reaching a No. 1 ranking in singles, mixed doubles, and women’s doubles by 14, the American pickleball superstar has quite a resume with 134 career titles and 31 Triple Crowns to her credit.

And she isn't even 18 years old yet. That will happen on January 26.

Not only is she a fan favorite for her incredible skill and world-class talent, she’s also a role model to Junior PPA players too.  

It's safe to say that Waters answer the age-old question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” incredibly early in life. And she made it happen, too. 

How did she made her professional pickleball dream a reality? 

“I really didn’t like school growing up, so I really was thinking about what I could do so that I didn’t have to go to a 9-to-5 job. I loved playing sports, so I decided to try really hard in sports so I don’t have to do that when I’m older,” explained Waters, during an appearance on the In Search of Excellence podcast. 

In that vein, Waters cited New Jersey 5s' (MLP) team Owner, Gary Vaynerchuk.

“His motto is that you might be 40 and still not really know what you’re going to do in life. And that’s not too old,” she added. “I don’t want to say, 'Figure it out when you’re 10 or 11,' or whenever I figured it out, because I was very blessed and very lucky that I was able to figure out what I wanted to do. And even then, I didn’t really know I was going to play pickleball. It wasn’t until I was 12 or 13 that I decided that I was going to stick to pickleball. I was very blessed that the decision was put on a platter for me and I took it. Whereas some of my friends and peers don’t know what they want to do in their life yet, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I think eventually you’ll figure it out.”

Waters was a natural athlete. And she was incredibly gifted in pickleball and soccer alike. She even had an opportunity to play soccer in Germany, but the COVID-19 pandemic eventually eliminated that option. So, she went all-in on pickleball. 

“COVID made that decision for me, which kind of sucked in the moment, but I think I definitely made the right choice,” she said. “The most important thing is doing what you love. Pickleball is what I love and that’s why I chose it.”

As for Waters' advice to youngsters out there asking themselves: “What should I be when I grow up?”

“My message would be to just do what you love, whenever you find it, and I think it’s the right path for you,” she concluded.