In this episode, JW and Jorja sit down with Roscoe and Jared to trace their unlikely path from Pittsburgh, Kansas to the top of the pro game. They get into the zero-pressure upbringing that made it all possible, the South Florida training culture they helped build, and what it actually takes to stay dominant in a sport evolving as fast as pickleball.
Jorja breaks down what it was like to be stolen from the Dallas Flash in the MLP draft, landing on the New Jersey Fives alongside Anna Leigh Waters — a move nobody saw coming. JW also reveals he's never had a real conversation with Ben Johns off the court, and addresses for the first time whether a JW-Ben partnership has ever been on the table.
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Timestamps:
1:07 - Welcome & Introducing JW and Jorja Johnson
2:33 - Growing Up in Pittsburgh, Kansas
5:20 - How COVID Sparked Their Pickleball Journey
8:52 — Early Days: Bad Reps, Johnny Goldberg & First Tournaments
10:21 — The $300 Hilton Head Moment That Changed Everything
13:06 — Building the South Florida Training Scene
19:51 — Julie Johnson's Academy and the Rise of a Squad
24:43 — When the Money Started Getting Real
26:26 — Power Balance Scam, Franklin Deal & Seeing Your Face in Dick's
29:04 — Signing Underwear and Knowing You've Made It
34:46 — MLP, the Dallas Flash, and Becoming Stars
40:33 — The Draft Shock: Jorja Stolen to the New Jersey Fives
45:06 — Playing with Anna Leigh & What That Partnership Looks Like
47:26 — How They Stay Dominant: Film, Evolution, and the Tui
49:08 — JW's Hands: The Secret Behind the Fastest Reactions on Tour
54:22 — Life Off the Court: Padel, Cinnamon Bread & Movies
56:44 — Biggest Rivals and the Mindset Behind Not Having One
59:19 — Has JW Ever Thought About Teaming with Ben Johns?
1:01:09 — Greatest Moments