Mary Lou Furaus at home with her racquetball and pickleball trophies and medals
Cynthia Schwartz
Marylou Furaus grew up in a small copper mining town in Montana and was one of 13 children. She commented, “Everyone was poor, and we did everything together. Everything we had was homemade. I shoveled sidewalks in the winter, babysat, ironed clothes for families, and sold newspapers in the saloons for my brothers. I always had a job and responsibilities at home that included caring for my younger siblings.” Surrounded by her athletic brothers, Marylou played volleyball in high school and learned to ice skate.
After marrying her high school sweetheart, Jim, Marylou and her husband raised their family in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Marylou and Jim joined a newly built racquetball/handball court club. She began her journey to become a nationally ranked racquetball player and has been playing racquetball for 40 years. Marylou won her first national championship at the Women’s National Masters in California in 1998 and has since won 40 national level medals. Marylou stopped playing racquetball at the national level in 2015. She still loves to play racquetball and participates in the Swing into Spring tournament each year in Sun City. The tournament allows only 40 players and Marylou is often the only woman participant. Last year, she placed second in her division and has medaled several times over the years.
Marylou and Jim moved to PebbleCreek in 2003 and were introduced to pickleball in 2007. She said, “I was sold on pickleball from the start. It was easy for me because of my experience on the racquetball court. The difference between the two sports is that pickleball has a smaller paddle and the ball is slower. A racquetball can go more than 100 mph and that can hurt! I was torn between how many days I could play pickleball versus racquetball.” Marylou’s abilities and skill level soared in pickleball. Her first national pickleball tournament was in 2014, where she won a silver medal in women’s singles and a bronze medal in women’s doubles. Since then, she has won three gold medals and three silver medals in mixed and women’s doubles at the 5.0 level. She continues to play 10-12 regional, state, and local tournaments every year. Marylou has been ranked No. 1 Women’s Pickleball Player for age 75+ by Pickleball Global organization.
Marylou plays pickleball five days a week, including a mixed doubles round robin that is organized by the PC Pickleball Club. She commented, “The PCPB Club offers something for everyone who wants to participate, including clinics, ladders, round robins, and tournaments for all skill levels. It all starts with our volunteers, who are over the top! I will play with anyone who wants to play with me.” Every Sunday, Marylou plays with a group of friends, “The Pickle Pals.”
Marylou’s story is a great inspiration for new pickleball players.