Member Spotlight: Anna Eberhardt
Erin Portman
“My tennis partner is literally a hero.” That’s what I tell people when they ask me about Anna.
Anna with her doubles partner, Erin Portman
You see, Anna is a firefighter (which is pretty badass). But what’s even more impressive is that she’s also a dedicated mom to three little girls—all seven and under —and still finds time to play competitive tennis.
Anna has always loved helping people. She started her career in the nonprofit world, first with AmeriCorps and then in government work, but she felt something was always missing. She wanted a job that not only challenged her mind but her body, too. Everything clicked one night when she met two neighbors who were firefighters. Anna was especially surprised to meet a female firefighter and immediately peppered her with questions about life as a firefighter, work-life balance, and overcoming gender stereotypes. By the end of that conversation, Anna had a new goal: to make what she learned was “the best job in the world” her own.
That dream came true in 2018 when she joined the Austin Fire Department—exactly a year after having her first daughter, Iva, via C-section. Since becoming a first responder, Anna has kept a cool head through countless emergencies, from driving the firetruck toward a blaze to being the first on the scene of an accident and administering aid.
It was during this time that Anna found her way back to tennis. She had played #1 singles in high school and taught kids at a summer tennis camp during college, but after that tennis took a backseat to adulting for a while. Her new career, however, opened a new door: after 24-hour shifts at the station, she now had several weekdays free and decided to pick up a racquet again with the encouragement of some friends.
Fast forward to August 2020. Right before the annual SunBurned Tournament in Austin, my partner got injured and connected me with a new player named “Anna” to take her place. It was August in Texas, with a forecast of well over 100 degrees for the weekend, and Anna was nine months pregnant. Seriously. She told me not to worry (“I’m a firefighter; I can take the heat!”). During our first match together, Anna proved to be an absolute warrior. There was even a moment where she fell during a point, quickly brushed herself off, and jumped right back into the rally like it was nothing. We were all in awe. Her grit and determination were contagious, and despite the odds, we ended up winning the consolation bracket even though we’d only played once before together! Three days later, Anna gave birth to her second daughter, Edie. True story!
Since that fateful tournament, Anna and I have been doubles partners ever since. For nearly five years, we’ve leaned heavily into tennis and constantly pushed each other to improve. Together, we’ve won the Texas Masters, played our first L1 national senior tournament in Houston, L2 Westwood in Austin, and represented Team Texas at Intersectionals in Arizona and Florida. She also is a great mixed player and helped her team win first place at the 9.0 Mixed National Championship at the USTA National Campus in 2024. And in between all of that, Anna had her third daughter, Kaia.
The best part about Anna—besides her incredible net game!—is that she’s such a thoughtful and warm person. When I asked her the secret to her success, Anna gave all the credit to her wife, Melody. “I simply couldn’t make my tennis life work without her. She’s the real hero!”
