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The funniest guy in pickleball has a story you probably didn’t see coming.
This week on the PicklePod, we sit down with Evan Slaughter (@fit2serve1) — creator, comedian, CrossFit athlete, and Purple Heart recipient — to unpack the journey behind the viral videos.
Before the stinky dinky… before the shirtless skits… before the millions of views… there was Afghanistan.
Evan opens up about:
- Serving as an infantryman in Afghanistan
- Surviving an IED explosion and receiving a Purple Heart
- Struggling with opioid addiction after returning home
- Learning pickleball in rehab
- How humor helped him heal
- Turning TikTok videos into a full-time career
- Creator vs pro influence in the paddle world
- The business side of brands like Volair Pickleball
- The future of pickleball in pop culture (including Apple TV+’s upcoming pickleball movie)
This episode goes way deeper than social media clips. It’s about resilience, recovery, and how pickleball can literally change a life.
If you’ve ever laughed at a Fit2Serve video, this is the story behind it.
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Follow Evan at https://www.instagram.com/fit2serve1/
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0:00 The only 8.0 player in the world
3:33 When will Anna Leigh steal Big H?
5:59 The greatest motivator in pro pickleball
10:23 Women’s doubles matchup we’ve been waiting for
15:10 Is Anna Leigh bad for the game?
19:36 Evan Slaughter joins the podcast
22:04 Purple Heart heroics
32:32 He discovered pickleball in rehab
38:37 Who moves more paddles, pros or creators?
46:10 Evan should be the lead in The Dink movie
56:17 Pickleball marathon and the 11 beer challenge
1:03:37 Evan’s new signature shot
1:09:03 Is celebrating after the dome shot bad etiquette?
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