Pickleball Magazine 2-4 Courtesy of Pickleball Central | Page 57

I finally found a remedy with essential oils and natural
products for the inflammation and tried to get active
again. However, nearly every sport I tried left me out of
breath and struggling. I began to accept that my body
might never fully recover from all the cancer treatments
and autoimmune disorder. I didn’t think I could ever be an
athlete again.
And then I found pickleball!
From the first day the plastic ball hit my wooden paddle
I was hooked. And for the first time in many years, I had
hope that perhaps my days as an athlete were not over.
Pickleball quickly became my “fidget spinner.” From
watching videos of the pros to drilling in a racquetball
court and practicing as much as I could, it was pickleball all
the time. I carried a notebook for tips each time I stepped
on the court.
My doubles partner, Jodi Krayer, and I even created a
new company around pickleball. One day, she and I were
running drills and started volleying at the net. We were
making super quick motions with our paddles and our eye/
hand coordination was on point. As the ball kept moving
faster and faster, our cat-like reflexes kicked in and the play
just kept going. As soon as the play was over, I blurted out,
“I feel like a pickleball ninja!” Both Jodi and I laughed, and
thus began Pickleball Ninjas. Our hope is to create some
cool pickleball clothing, swag and gear, while also blogging
our way to our goal of becoming professional pickleball
players.
I entered my first tournament only six weeks after
touching a paddle and placed first in 3.0/3.5 singles,
third in 3.5 doubles, and challenged myself in 4.0 mixed
doubles. At first I really struggled with my stamina and
lung capacity, but just kept pressing on. Four months later,
I graduated to a 4.0 player and was planning to play in this
year’s US Open.
However, in February I was in a tournament, playing in
the Open division gold-medal match, when my shoulder
slipped out of socket. Turns out, I had a SLAP tear and had
torn my labrum roughly 270 degrees around, an injury
likely sustained from the 14 years I’d played competitive
volleyball. While awaiting surgery, of course I could not
sit idly by, so I taught myself how to play left-handed! I
am currently four months post-op and itching to get back
on the court. A little light dinking may or may not have
already happened.
My life has taught me a lot. Barely out of my teens,
I made a life-defining decision: I could either become
embittered by what was happening, constantly asking,
“Why me?” and allow anger to consume me, or I could use
my experiences to help others.
My desire to use what life has given me rubbed off on
our daughter, Jordyn. At just 6 years old, she learned about
a 15-year-old girl with brain cancer and decided to start
her own nonprofit foundation called Faith Like a Child. In
five months, she raised $11,500 to send the girl and her
family on an all-expense paid trip to Disney World. And, in
the last four years, Jordyn has raised money and donated
items in the amount of $250,000 for organizations such as
Samaritan’s Purse, St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital,
and various ministries that reach the homeless, displaced
and hurting.
When I chose to find purpose in my cancer, I set the tone
for all my other experiences. Now pushing 40, I know that
life is filled with setbacks, disappointments and unexpected
moments. However, we cannot let those experiences label
or define us. We can use them and they can empower us.
When we choose to use our challenges as stepping-stones,
we build authentic relationships with others. And, if there
is anything I’ve learned from playing pickleball, it’s that we
are a community – close-knit, relational, sometimes a little
neurotic, but still a beautiful and inspiring community. •
JULY/AUGUST 2017 |
MAGAZINE
55