Ashton author to share how pickleball is changing lives at upcoming book signing
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ASHTON — What started as a way to make new friends in a small Idaho community has turned into a passion, a coaching opportunity and now a book for local author Lynn Grant Beck.
Beck will share her story and introduce her latest book, “Dink, Drive, Thrive: How Pickleball Transforms Lives,” during a meet-the-author event Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 6 p.m. at Warm River Studio, 612 Main St. in Ashton.
The book explores how pickleball is doing much more than providing exercise and friendly competition. Through personal stories, Beck highlights how the increasingly popular sport is helping teenagers overcome social anxiety, adults build friendships, and veterans and first responders cope with post-traumatic stress disorder.
“She also examines how pickleball programs inside correctional facilities are helping inmates develop connections and a sense of community,” said Ellen Lynch owner of Warm River Studios.
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Beck’s own introduction to pickleball came after she and her husband, Devan, moved to Ashton in 2022 to be closer to family following her battle with breast cancer. Looking for opportunities to meet people, she discovered the sport and was quickly welcomed into the local pickleball community.
Today, Beck is a founding member of the American Youth Pickleball Organization, coaches the North Fremont pickleball team and works with inmates at the St. Anthony Work Camp through the Pickleball in Prison program.
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Her experiences inspired her to write “Dink, Drive, Thrive,” which combines personal stories with practical advice for players of all skill levels.
Beck also brings an extensive writing background to her latest project.
Her career began with “Adventure in the Soviet Union,” a book about her experiences working as an assistant director of a Russian theater during the collapse of the Soviet Union.
She later moved to New York City, where she became a playwright and founded the Chelsea Players. In 1996, she relocated to Los Angeles, working for major production companies before transitioning into screenwriting. Her work includes films produced for Lifetime and the Hallmark Channel.
Beck also served as a professor of screenwriting at Pepperdine University and holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in screenwriting and playwriting.
During the upcoming Ashton event, Beck will discuss her journey as a playwright, screenwriter, poet and author, along with the experiences that inspired her latest book.
Beck’s book can be found on Amazon.
For more information follow Warm River Studio on Facebook.