(CLAIR) – Congratulations to Flo Trapani, a Simi Valley resident and retired officer with the Simi Valley Police Department! Flo and her teammate won a gold medal in pickleball at the United States Police & Fire Championships in San Diego this month.
Pickleball is a popular sport among Simi Valley residents that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis, and is one of the fastest growing sports in the country.
It was a long road to the gold medal for Trapani. The 65-year-old won the coveted prize in 2019, but in 2020 the games were canceled due to COVID and in 2021 she was unable to participate due to having had a knee replacement.
But this year she finally made her way back to the championships and, together with partner Colin Smith, brought home the gold.
Trapani said, “I’m just happy to be able to compete at a high level again and show everyone that age is just a number.” With her sights set on next year’s games, Trapani is already preparing for her next chance at gold.
The championships was founded in 1967 by a San Diego police lieutenant. Fifty years later, the championships have grown to become one of the largest and most respected law enforcement competitions in the world.
Each year, over 5,000 officers from across the United States and dozens of other countries come to participate in the event. The championships provide an opportunity for officers to showcase their skills, build relationships with other agencies and promote public safety.
“It felt great to finally win again after everything that’s happened over the past two years,” said Trapani.
