Linda Visser (left) and Connie Johnson (right)
Our amiable afternoon association of table tennis players meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Anza facility from 1 to 3 p.m. There are no dues to play in our club, and paddles and balls are provided. This month features Linda Visser and Connie Johnson. The ladies became good friends after meeting at the club several years ago and are two of the many friendly, fun-loving females in our fold. They are regularly seen walking around Quail Creek together, enjoying each other’s company.
Linda is a retired primary school teacher and raised two daughters with her husband Fred while living in North Central Washington State. At the age of 15, Linda got hooked on the joy of running. She participated in a variety of long distance runs over her years as a teacher, ultimately working her way up to the completion of a marathon. She had never played ping pong until moving here in 2015, finding the club members very helpful and patient as she improved her skill level with weekly practice. Besides laughing and having fun with friends while swatting the ping pong ball around, she enjoys line dancing classes and other activities at Quail Creek. Her next goal? Linda wants to learn all the new line dances taught by her instructor (Patti Bembe).
Connie and her husband Tom moved here part time from Afton, Minn., about 10 years ago. She had been given a ping pong table in Minnesota and just started to dabble in it. “I have never been particularly athletic,” she says. “But I felt this is something I could do. Little did I know it was something I’d absolutely love. Imagine, a bunch of seniors jumping around and laughing like 12-year-olds and having it be great exercise, too.” She adds, “I love the people like an extended family, and we often socialize outside of the club! I played a couple times in the Senior Olympics in Green Valley. No trophies, but I had lots of fun.” Prior to retirement, Connie worked as a cosmetologist.
She has a daughter and granddaughter who live in Washington State. Her granddaughter is visiting QC for the first time, and Connie can’t wait to introduce her to all her friends. Her goals are to stay grateful, stay in shape, and laugh harder!
Table Tennis Topics: Table tennis changed scoring from 21 to 11 in September 2001. And now you switch after every two serves, rather than after five. Supposedly, it would make watching tournament table tennis on television more interesting and exciting, with shorter games!