Meet KaSandra Gehrke
Professional Pickleball Player • Former PE Teacher • Community-Builder
KaSandra Gehrke grew up in Marshall, Wisconsin, as a natural-born athlete with a serious competitive streak. In high school, she dominated the court—earning Defensive Player of the Year for basketball and All-Conference honors in volleyball. She later earned her Bachelor’s in Physical Education and Health from UW-Whitewater.
Straight out of college in 2015, KaSandra shared her passion for sport as a middle and high school PE teacher—coaching volleyball and basketball at Wisconsin Heights in Mazomanie, WI. She also led club volleyball at Northstar Volleyball in DeForest. Her greatest joy? Watching athletes soar after her clinics and camps.
Despite having no prior racket-sports experience, KaSandra fell fast for pickleball—and quickly turned pro. She left the classroom in 2018 to chase her dream and by 2019 cracked the top 10 female players in the country, and she's currently ranked among the top 30 nationally. Her trophy shelf already includes multiple National Open titles—and a bronze medal performance at the 2019 US Open.
KaSandra founded Empowher Pickleball in 2023 with nothing more than a dream and a vision: to create a space where women could learn, compete, and thrive in a sport traditionally dominated by men. At the time, if you wanted pickleball lessons, chances were you’d be learning from a man — and KaSandra knew it was time to change that.
She started by hosting a handful of women’s clinics across different locations, and the response was overwhelming. That momentum led to an even bigger idea — partnering with Club Med to launch the very first Empowher Pickleball Retreat.
Fast forward to the end of 2025, and KaSandra and the Empowher Pickleball team will have hosted 15 retreats, 46 camps, and countless clinics, creating unforgettable experiences for hundreds of women across the country.
At the heart of every event is one goal: to give women the confidence to perform at their absolute best on the court — and to carry that same confidence into every area of their lives off the court.
Off the court, KaSandra hits pounds and volleys—whether lifting weights, playing volleyball, or exploring new places—with her fiancé Caleb and their golden retriever, Finley, by her side. Life’s a journey for this dynamic trio.
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