Meet the Member: Jenn Mann
Where are you from and what brought you to the Reno/Tahoe area?
Originally I’m from the bay area. I graduated from Truckee High. After that I moved around a lot, but found my way back to this area when COVID started.
How long have you been a member of WTC?
Almost a year now. Most beautiful courts in town.
What WTC or USTA activities do you participate in?
I have joined the ladder a few times now as I love singles and the varied challenges it brings. I also do bump doubles when available. I am on various USTA teams as well: women’s, mixed, and combo.
What’s your tennis story? How did you get started and what keeps you going?
I grew up playing tennis. Our whole family used to play together. I played until I moved to Truckee in high school. We didn’t have a team at Truckee high back then. I worked and lived all over Africa from 2002 until 2020 so I met random people to play with in various places – Angola, Somalia, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Liberia – some unique court situations and partners. When I used to visit my parents in Reno for holidays I would play with my mom’s groups at Plumas, so when I moved here in 2020 I was able to meet people, join some teams, and now I play all the time. I never say no to an offer to play tennis; every game is different, fun and great exercise.
Other than tennis, what is another favorite hobby? Can you give a recommendation for that activity?
When not playing tennis, I am trying to tire out my Jack Russells, who demand a lot of attention and never get tired. I was also getting injured a lot playing tennis last year, so I joined Kaia Fit to do some full body strengthening. I highly recommend Kaia Fit.
Who is your favorite professional tennis player? Why?
Zverev – he’s a fighter and I hope he wins a major this year. Although I just read Andre Agassi’s book and loved it!
Can you tell us about your family, occupation, pets, etc?
My parents live in Reno, my mom still plays tennis which I think is awesome! I have worked as a public health nurse/epidemiologist most of my career – I worked for CDC and other humanitarian organizations which took me all over Africa for almost 20 years working on various things like polio and measles eradication, Ebola, and HIV/AIDS. I will forever be grateful for those experiences. I met my South African husband along the way – I try to get him to play tennis, but he is pretty busy now as a contractor in Reno. We have two crazy dogs that we also picked up on our journeys – if you ever want to experience stress, try to move dogs internationally. I have lived all over the US and a lot of other places in the world. I think we are very lucky to experience the beauty and climate of the Reno/Tahoe area.
