Joanna quickly showcased her talent at junior level between 1999 to 2001, having trained at the national academy in Nottingham, before going to play professionally in Berlin. Her first medal came in the 2009 Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships, winning bronze in the women's doubles competition. She would follow this up with a bronze medal in the 2010 Commonwealth Games mixed doubles competition, alongside future husband, Paul Drinkhall. The result would represent the first table tennis medal won by an English woman.
She would compete at the London 2012 Olympic Games, reaching the second round where she was beaten by Kristin Silbereisen. In the women's team, they would be defeated by Korea.
Alongside husband Paul Drinkhall, the duo won gold in the mixed doubles at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The historic win was sealed with a kiss on the podium by the husband and wife duo after they beat stiff competition in fellow English duo Liam Pitchford and Tin-Tin Ho. The win prevented Singapore from completing a clean sweep of the competition medals, having won six of the seven available to them, showcasing the magnitude of the duo's achievement
In recognition of her efforts, Joanna was ranked as the number one female table tennis player in England, and 109th in the world. Speaking on the intense training required to win medals in the game and the drive and determination needed to compete with the best players and teams in the world, Joanna Drinkhall is a popular personality with a number of impressive achievements to her name.
As a motivational speaker for schools and sporting audiences, Joanna is popular with associations and businesses looking to tap into the themes of athletic success and peak performance. Driving people all over the world to pursue their goals, she is a fascinating speaker perfect for inspiring any team.
