Meet the Member: Laura Wade

Where are you from? If not from Reno, what brought you here?

I was born in the suburbs of Los Angeles and lived there my whole childhood. My mom moved to
California from Yorkshire, England in her 30s and raised her two kids in LA. She moved here to be with
my dad, who is from CA, and for the weather! I went to college at UC Santa Cruz for my undergraduate
degree in Biology and walked on to play Division III tennis. Once I graduated from college, I took seasonal
natural resources positions (and customer service jobs) and moved around a lot. I have lived in San
Diego, Fresno, South Africa, Arcata, Mammoth Lakes, and now Reno. I took a job in Reno in 2019 and
went to grad school at UNR for my master’s following that. I finished grad school in 2022 and currently
have a remote job as a GIS/Remote Sensing Analyst. I love living in Reno!

How long have you been a member of WTC?

I have been a member for 1 year.

What WTC or activities do you participate in?

I play women’s 5.0, mixed 18+ 9.0, women’s combo 9.5, singles ladder, and dingles!

What’s your tennis story? What got you started and what keeps you going?
My whole family plays tennis, including both sets of grandparents. My mom is obsessed with tennis and
would play every day if she could. So, I started playing tennis when I was a toddler, along with my
brother. I played continuously throughout my childhood with my brother and in tournaments in
Southern California (my brother went on to play Div I at UC Davis). I played for my high school and
went back to coach JV tennis for the same high school a few years later. When I went to college at UC
Santa Cruz, I wasn’t going to play for their team, but I missed tennis so much that I walked on my
sophomore year and started playing Division III. I took it pretty seriously and went to Nationals twice
with my doubles partner. After college, I was so burned out that I took an 8-year break. I picked tennis
up again last year (once I finished grad school, had some free time and an income).

Who is your favorite tennis player? Why?

Serena (GOAT), Fed, Nadal…I grew up watching them play.

What is another favorite hobby other than Tennis? Can you give a recommendation?

I’m obsessed with skiing, and winter is my favorite season. I spent two winters in Mammoth working as a
lifty, so I really love skiing. I really love being outdoors and like to bike, hike and practice yoga. I’m a
huge nerd and a big reader and I’m really into fantasy and sci fi. My favorite author is Patrick Rothfuss. I
also play a lot of board games at the Glass Die.

Would you like to share anything about your family, pets included?

I recently adopted a 7-year-old cat, Penny, from the shelter, and she’s wonderful.

Would you like to share anything about your occupation?

I’m a GIS/Remote Sensing Analyst working as a contractor for the Forest Service’s Region 5 Remote
Sensing Lab. Right now, I’m working on post-fire vegetation mapping and modeling using LiDAR and
satellite imagery. I am able to work remotely at home with small amounts of field work.

Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself?

It’s really nice to find a tennis community in Reno! I have lived in Reno since 2019 and had no idea this
community existed. I’m grateful for the friends I’ve made here.