pickleball's youngest world champion makes history
Anna Leigh Waters, now the No. 1 pickleball player in the world at just 18-years-old, recently made history at the World Championships in Dallas. She earned a triple crown victory and became the most decorated athlete in Professional Pickleball Association history. In a conversation with mindbodygreen, she reflected on the early adoption of an aggressive playing style with her mother, and the pushback they faced for bringing tennis-like power into a sport that wasn’t used to it. Their approach not only held up under scrutiny, but ultimately helped reshape the strategic landscape of professional pickleball.
Waters shared that strength work, mobility, and near-daily physical therapy focused on both performance and injury prevention keep her at the top of the game. When asked about strength, she described it as multidimensional: physical, mental, and rooted in the support systems around her. She’s using her platform to advocate for women’s sports and inspire younger players, inspiring us all that strength is not a single skill but a spectrum of capacities that evolve as we do.
YOUR GENES DON'T CHANGE, BUT KNOWING YOUR DNA CAN HELP YOU CHANGE
Ever wonder how your DNA influences your nutrition, fitness, or mental well-being? LifeDNA gives you personalized health insights based on your genes — plus easy, actionable tips to support your body and brain.
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A PSYCHOLOGIST'S GUIDE TO "GENIUS ENERGY"
Clinical psychologist and author Diana Hill, PhD, is introducing a new framework for cultivating what she calls “genius energy.” goop featured Hill’s book Wise Effort, where she draws from her own experience with burnout, providing solutions for managing our personal energy. Her approach centers on recognizing the patterns that deplete us, running occasional energy audits with our choices, and learning to align effort with values, strengths, and the activities that genuinely restore us.
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Hill encourages readers to understand their innate “genius” as a constellation of strengths, sensitivities, and natural tendencies; and to direct that energy with intention rather than urgency. Through awareness practices, stress-calming techniques, and value-based decision-making, she outlines how individuals can reconnect to clarity, resilience, and a steadier internal compass. When energy is guided wisely, it becomes a source of vitality that supports not just productivity, but a more grounded way of living.
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THE UNDENIABLE POWER OF NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS
In Boyce, Louisiana, a woman who had been living for weeks without electricity or running water is back on her feet after neighbors, her church community, and local organizations rallied around her. Former paramedic Caroline Deville, who spent nearly three decades caring for others, said donations began pouring in after her situation became public, ultimately clearing her overdue utility bill and restoring power to her home. “It reminded me that there are people out there who do care,” she shared, noting how the experience renewed her faith in community support, as reported by KALB.
Deville said the assistance brought immediate relief and she now hopes her story will spark changes to the town’s utility policy, which currently offers no payment plans for residents in crisis. As she works to rebuild financial stability, she’s also imagining a future where her historic home becomes a refuge for women recovering from addiction, abuse, or incarceration. Her next chapter, she says, is about turning her own healing into a place of hope for others.
Scientists in Australia are testing a new way to revive damaged sections of the Great Barrier Reef: an underwater AI-guided robot that helps plant baby corals with unprecedented precision. After this year’s spawning season, the Australian Institute of Marine Science launched their Deployment Guidance System. It scans the seafloor, identifies the safest places for young coral to grow, and releases protective ceramic coral seed pods within just a few feet of the optimal spot. The team says the technique dramatically increases the efficiency and accuracy of coral restoration efforts.
The project represents a meaningful shift in reef conservation, with humans and machines collaborating to scale up restoration at a time when reefs urgently need support. As scientists refine the technology, they imagine a hopeful future where autonomous vessels seed reefs continuously, and even tourism or community boats could participate in restoring one of the planet’s natural wonders.
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A RECIPE FOR HOLDING ONTO YOUR ROOTS
Have you ever felt a calling to archive family memories? Becoming your family’s archivist doesn’t have to look like you’re building a museum, it’s simply about creating a bridge between past and future. Psyche shares a guide that traces how photos, recipes, letters, heirlooms, playlists, and recorded conversations can be gathered with care to tell a shared story, one that anchors you in where you come from and who you belong to. She encourages readers to set clear intentions, follow their curiosities, and decide the scope of their project, from a simple photo album to a family cookbook.
Archiving can at times stir up deep emotions, so they suggest moving through this tender work with support. By gathering small pieces of memory – in names, recipes, objects, songs – you create a living narrative that helps everyone in the family tree feel a little more rooted, and a little more at home in themselves.
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