Clinical Educator by day and Pickleball pro by night, Leona Chun is smashing goals both on and off the court.
With a background in competitive sport and a ‘never say die’ motto, the Qld Transcultural Mental Health Centre (QTMHC) legend smashed her way to the silver medal at last month’s National Pickleball Championships in Sydney.
After a serious back injury forced her to retire from competitive badminton, Leona craved a new sporting challenge that would keep her mentally and physically fit.
“My husband and I are both very sporty. He did martial arts. I played badminton competitively when I was younger, but after I retired, I needed something new that would be less strenuous,” she said.
“When the COVID lockdowns started and all the gyms closed down, we got bored being at home. That’s when my mother-in-law introduced us to Pickleball. She even ended up building her own court. Now we can all play as a family.”
Leona and her husband launched full-swing into the sport, working their way up the pickle-ranks to the Pacific Pickleball League, Australia’s first professional league, and claiming the title of Australia’s leading husband/wife team. Balancing a young family and full-time work between spins, Leona says the support of the Pickleball community and her family has been invaluable.
“Pickleball has given me the opportunity to keep my competitive spirit alive. It’s so inclusive, and I’ve been able to make friends of all different ages,” she said.
“I love that I can still play competitively at a high level with my husband while raising a young family and working full-time. We are extremely grateful and fortunate to be surrounded by a supportive network of family and friends who help with babysitting while we play.”
Two years on, Leona is a self-professed Pickleball junkie, training up to four times a week on her mission to claim gold at the upcoming Pacific Pro events in Sydney and Melbourne.
Balancing psychology trainee supervision, workforce development education, and a clinical caseload, Leona says her work is still her first priority, where her passion for supporting CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) communities has shaped her early career.
“Our CALD communities still experience a lot of stigma when it comes to accessing mental health services. I was raised in a Cantonese-speaking household, so working with CALD communities is not just my passion, but my lived experience,” she said.
“We work a lot behind the scenes, advocating for CALD clients, and upskilling the systems around them to better understand and support those clients. It can be complicated sometimes, but it’s really rewarding when you see everyone working together to support our clients.”
Leona says the success of the QTMHC is led by the team’s collaborative and diverse culture.
“Our team is very diverse, passionate, and just a wonderful bunch of people. We all have very much the same vision, and it’s really rewarding to see everyone work together to support our clients.”