Written by Jane Wineman
Laura Jaget knows there are only 24 hours in a day. As a result, she rarely stops moving.
Laura is a mother of four and a retired chiropractor who still practices when offices need some help. And when Laura has any free time, you will find her on the pickleball court, training for her next adventure this summer at the 2025 Maccabiah in Israel.
Laura has been an athlete most of her life. It started with tennis when she was just five years old. Her father could not afford to send all four of his children to college so he gambled on different ways to get them there. He leaned on tennis with the hopes Laura might earn a scholarship. And Laura excelled right away. She was a top-rated junior in Nevada throughout high school and ranked 54th nationally.
Thanks to Laura’s tennis achievements, she earned a full athletic scholarship to the University of San Diego.
“I played all four years and it was a great experience,” Laura said. “It got me my education, and I had amazing experiences.”
After graduating in 1988, Laura felt burned out with no urge to ever play again. And it took many years before the 58-year-old picked up a racket again in 2018. But this racket was much smaller. Laura moved to Bend, Oregon, but felt trapped in the cold Northwestern winter so she started to search for something active to do in her free time. Laura kept seeing pickleball flyers, so she thought this was a sign to give it a try.
Laura’s pickleball career grew from casual to competitive success in 2019 when she won the 4.0 US Open Championships for Women’s Doubles Pickleball. Later that same year, she moved up to 4.5 and again won the National Championships for Women’s Doubles.
After these pickleball achievements, COVID hit and Laura changed her perspective on the game by becoming the designated practice player for her pickleball friends. It wasn’t until she heard about the 2025 Maccabiah in Israel when she decided to get back into competition.
“To come back playing pickleball, which is debuting for the first time in the Games this year, all while representing the U.S. and the Jewish people makes me absolutely thrilled,” Laura says. It’s been 20 years since she last visited Israel.
Laura’s priorities go hand in hand. She converted to Judaism when she got married and raised her kids Orthodox, sending them all to Chabad day school. Her son works for an Israeli company, and one of her daughters went to a seminary for a year. In addition, Laura and her husband are two of the founding members of the Chabad Shul in Las Vegas, where she currently lives. She is a proud Jew who believes, “it is something that’s been instilled in us. It’s who we are and what we do.”
As for motherhood, Laura started a platform with a podcast called “How to Life,” where she created her own “mominars,” another way of saying seminars for moms. Her goal was to address those embarrassing questions kids were scared of asking, such as how to pump gas or how to iron a shirt. It ended up being a hit, as Laura received a large following and still receives questions even though she has stopped recording the podcast.
But then, there is her continuing athletic career. Laura was sponsored by many companies during her tennis career, such as Adidas, Rinar, Head and Wilson. When she started playing competitive pickleball, Laura wanted a new sponsor. That is when Gearbox, a sports equipment company, came into her life.
“I love the products,” she says. “I love pickleball, and I am very excited to show off their stuff on a world stage.”
Her journey to the world stage begins in July when Laura, the mother and business owner, puts all of her priorities aside so she can be Laura the world-class athlete in search of gold.
Jane Wineman is a junior at the University of Miami studying creative advertising. Passionate about media, design, and storytelling, Jane has gained hands-on experience as a marketing intern at Miansai, where she contributed to branding and campaign strategies. At the University of Miami, Jane is an active member of Alpha Delta Pi, where she serves as the coordinator for her alpha class, planning large-scale events. Follow Jane’s work and experiences on LinkedIn and on Instagram at @jane_wineman and @cr3ative.3dit.