Anna Bright Hiking Adventure: Professional pickleball player Anna Bright, a key member of the St. Louis Shock, is also a passionate long-distance hiker. At 25 years old, Bright has covered over 2,700 miles on foot across the U.S., often hiking solo on multi-day adventures through challenging terrain.
From Court to Canyon
While many athletes spend their free time doing yoga, reading, or relaxing, Anna Bright prefers the outdoors. Her hikes have taken her from the wetlands of the Florida Everglades to the rocky paths of Zion National Park.
“I’ve hiked over 2,700 miles. I’m sure there’s other pros on tour who’ve done more hikes than me, but definitely no other pro has more miles on their legs than me.”(Anna Bright)
When asked to recommend a must-do hike, Bright chose a famous natural wonder.
“Everyone should go to the Grand Canyon. I think it’s really amazing. I recommend what Hayden [Patriquin] and I did. We hiked rim to rim in one day and it was a really great experience. It’s really special to be in places where there’s no light pollution and it’s so amazing to see all the stars.”(Anna Bright)
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A New Passion Discovered
Bright didn’t grow up exploring nature or going on hikes. Hiking only became part of her life in recent years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“During COVID, a lot of people had a lot of time to reflect and I decided that I wanted to do something beyond the typical mold. I felt like my whole life, the next step had been pretty obvious. You finish high school, you go to college, you get a job.
But for me, I felt like I had been on easy mode because of tennis,” (Anna Bright).
“Everything had been easy and I wanted to do something to break the mold and really challenge myself, but also prove to myself that I could do something hard.”
Her first hike was far from simple.
“For my first hike ever, my best friend, Sophia, and I went backpacking in the Smoky Mountains. We did a four-day, 22-mile trip. We thought we were so hardcore going six or seven miles a day. After that, I did a 50K trail run in Zion.”(Anna Bright)
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The Pacific Crest Trail Challenge
Despite her busy schedule as a pro athlete, Bright set her sights on one of the most difficult trails in America—the Pacific Crest Trail. But before that, she tested herself in Florida.
“I had to prove to myself that I could do the Pacific Crest Trail. I needed to be able to endure a little misery. In Florida, there’s a 62-mile trail that’s flat, so it’s not too hard. But I did it in December and I walked through 42 miles of water. It was so miserable,” (Anna Bright).
“But, I did it. It was tough, and I actually finished on Christmas Day. I was so emotionally drained. I was vegan at the time and my little sister had finished all my vegan butter when I got home and I cried about it. That’s how emotionally drained I was. But once I did that, I knew I could do the PCT.”
In 2021, Anna Bright hiked the entire Pacific Crest Trail on her own. The journey had a lasting impact on her life.
“The Pacific Crest Trail was definitely my favorite and most transformative experience. It’s something I’ll never forget. It was a good time, and it feels like a different life and a different person who did that.”(Anna Bright)
She even has a small tree tattoo on her thigh to mark the achievement, a symbol of the trail and what it meant to her.
What’s Next?
Anna Bright hopes to hike the famous Camino de Santiago trail in Spain. As she continues to travel for pickleball, she keeps looking for new trails and new goals. Her love for hiking shows a different side of professional athletes—one that values growth, challenge, and quiet moments in nature.
News in Brief: Anna Bright Hiking Adventures
Pickleball pro Anna Bright has hiked over 2,700 miles across the U.S., including a solo journey along the Pacific Crest Trail. The St. Louis Shock star picked up hiking during the COVID-19 pandemic and calls it her most powerful personal experience. She hopes to hike the Camino de Santiago next.
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