Pickleball & Partnership: Relationship Advice for Couples Navigating Communication, Conflict, and Connection
Welcome to Pickleball & Partnership, the weekly podcast where longtime married couple, Charlotte and Neil take you on their journey of love, laughter, and personal growth—both on and off the pickleball court. After 27+ years of marriage, they’ve found a fresh way to connect and challenge each other through this fast-growing sport, bringing a whole new level of teamwork to their relationship.
Each week, tune in to hear Charlotte and Neil share candid stories of their triumphs, frustrations, and everything in between. From hilarious mishaps on the court to humbling moments of self-discovery, these episodes offer a relatable, heartwarming, and sometimes downright funny look at how pickleball has helped them improve their communication, sharpen their teamwork, and grow a deeper appreciation for each other’s unique strengths.
Whether you're a pickleball enthusiast, in a long-term relationship, or just looking for light-hearted and inspiring stories about partnership, this podcast serves up real talk about love, life, and the game that’s brought them closer than ever.
Grab your paddle, hit subscribe, and join Charlotte and Neil each week for a fresh serve of insight, laughter, and life lessons.
Pickleball & Partnership: Relationship Advice for Couples Navigating Communication, Conflict, and Connection
Celebrate Canada Day with Personal Freedom and Pickleball
In this episode of the Pickleball and Partnership podcast, host Charlotte Jukes explores the deeper meaning of freedom, not just as a citizen but as a person, partner, and soul. Celebrating Canada Day, Charlotte invites listeners to find freedom through movement, laughter, and the game of pickleball. She discusses the therapeutic value of play, the importance of showing up authentically, and shares an inspiring story about her eldest daughter's first triathlon. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on what they want to be free from and to embrace new experiences. Connect and celebrate with a fun game of pickleball and join Charlotte in making freedom an ongoing choice.
00:00 Introduction to Pickleball and Partnership
00:47 Celebrating Canada Day: A Moment of Reflection
01:42 Finding Freedom in Play and Relationships
03:29 The Therapeutic Power of Laughter and Connection
06:04 A Personal Triumph: My Daughter's Triathlon
07:40 Claiming Your Freedom and Final Thoughts
08:41 Closing Remarks and How to Stay Connected
Pickleball & Partnership Facebook Page
Please jump on over and say "Hi" - we would love to hear from you...
https://www.facebook.com/conejukes
https://www.facebook.com/groups/848118700833703
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pickleball-partnership/id1775742795
Pickleball & Partnership Email cejukes@gmail.com
Music: Purple Planet Music
Thanks to Purple Planet Music for Pickleball & Partnership Intro and Outro music Purple Planet Music is a collection of music written and performed by Chris Martyn and Geoff Harvey.
This the pickleball and partnership podcast, the place to talk. Talk about building better connections with your partner. Learning how to communicate with each other and how to inject fun. Into your relationship all through the game of pickleball. If that sounds like your cup of tea. Pull up a chair grab your paddle and join me. Your host, Charlotte Jukes. For pickleball and partnership.
Charlotte J:Hey friends. Welcome back to Pickleball and Partnership. Today is Canada Day. Woo-hoo. And while a lot of people are celebrating with fireworks long weekend and maple leaf, everything, I want to offer something a little different, a short pause, a breath. A moment to ask, what does freedom really mean to you, not as a citizen of Canada or whatever country you may be living in, but as a human, a partner, a soul, and because this. Podcast is rooted in play. I'm also inviting you to think about what it means to find freedom through movement, through laughter, through trying something new, maybe even a game of pickleball today. If you've never played, what a perfect day to start. Come on, I dare you. For me, freedom is not just about geography or policies. It's about how free I feel inside my own body in my relationships, in my relationship with myself, in my truth. It's the freedom to show up, honestly, even when it's messy. I would even go as far to say, especially when it's messy, to be able to say what I feel to take up space without apology to rest when I'm tired, to play when I need joy, and to evolve even when others want me to stay the same. In partnership, freedom sounds like I don't have to earn your love. Love cannot be earned. The very definition of love is that it cannot be earned. It looks like being met as I am and not as who I used to be. It means that I can ask for what I need without fear, without fear of. Judgment without fear of being ridiculed, without fear of being lonely, feeling lonely, and to be able to say no without guilt In pickleball. Yeah, even on the court, freedom is play. It's remembering that I don't have to be perfect. It's letting the game be a mirror, but not a measurement. How well I am doing in life and letting laughter be part of the healing. Oh my gosh. Laughter is so therapeutic. It is so cathartic. Letting go of needing to win and remembering how good it feels just to connect and celebrate others too. We had the most amazing games of pickleball today. Met new friends, connected with old friends. Went out for pizza and drinks afterwards, and it was just so much fun just to connect with other people who also want to have fun and really don't care if we win or we lose because we're out there winning anyway. And in my own healing work, freedom has looked like unlearning. Oh yeah, that's huge. Unlearning, learning to release all of those limiting beliefs that I put on, that I wore thinking that they were my own to wear, to carry around reclaiming, reclaiming my truth, reclaiming my life. So today I invite you to ask what are you ready to be free from? Perhaps it's an old belief. Perhaps it's a fear that keeps looping in your mind and creating that story within your body that creates those emotions, those emotions that are not serving you. Perhaps it's a dynamic that no longer fits, and what are you ready to be free for? Perhaps speaking your truth. Perhaps trusting your body, trusting that there is this innate intelligence and your body knows and listening to the wisdom of that, creating from your own deep soul, deep within you. Or maybe just playing a new sport today, and that's okay. Whatever that looks like. Maybe it's just trying something new. Who knows? Pickleball is a beautiful way to move your body. Try something outside of your comfort zone and invite more joy into your life. And you know what the best thing is? You don't have to be good at it. You just have to show up. Oh my goodness. I have to tell you, my most amazing eldest daughter showed up today. She had us up at five o'clock this morning. I felt a little crazy doing it, but oh my goodness. She had signed up for her first triathlon. She was supposed to be doing it with a couple of teammates who backed out at the last minute, and she was so incredibly nervous, but she was determined that she was going to do it. She felt a little awkward. She wasn't sure that she liked the way her body looked in her triathlon suit. She got up, she showed up, and by golly, she absolutely nailed it. She had the fastest swim time that she has ever had. She got on that bicycle not even really having ridden for years and years. I think she practiced once yesterday and she felt quite sore afterwards, but today she got on that bike and she was determined and she did the 20 k and she did all of it with a smile on her face, and when she'd finished the cycle, she jumped off her bike. And she went and did the run and, oh yeah, she deserved that medal. So proud of her. So you don't have to be good. What's the point in being good if you're not having fun? She absolutely had fun. And maybe invite a friend, laugh a little. Start somewhere. If it feels right, pause this and take 60 seconds to breathe. Put your hand on your heart. Whisper it to yourself today. I claim my freedom to be, and I'll leave the rest up to you. Thank you for taking this moment with me. Whether you're celebrating today with a crowd or in quiet reflection, I hope you feel a little more connected to you because freedom isn't just something we are given. It's something we choose and rechoose over and over. If you are looking for a way to connect, try a short pickleball rally with a friend or a partner today, even if you've never played before. Let the court be your canvas. Let play be your practice. Happy Canada Day, my friends. Let me know what you are claiming today. I would love to hear from you.
Speaker:Thanks so much for listening today. I hope you enjoyed that conversation as much as I did. Anything mentioned, including links, notes, and a full episode list, will be over on our website at pickleballandpartnership. buzzsprout. com. Com. If you got something outta this episode, be sure to follow or subscribe to Pickleball and Partnership on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen so that you are notified of new and upcoming episodes. And if you're finding value in this podcast, a free way to support us is to leave a five. It truly means the world to us. This will help more people access these real conversations. And if you haven't connected with myself or Neil personally, we would love to meet you and say hi over on our Facebook page. Thanks again for listening. Please tune in next week for another exciting episode of Pickleball and partnership. Remember, we're all learning, growing, and showing up in our own ways. And that's what matters most.
