Pickleball Magazine 2019 USA National Championships | Page 32

nailed it when I mentioned that I wanted to work on the ‘aerobic’ health of students, faculty and the community.” The concept of aerobics was first pioneered in the United States by physician Kenneth H. Cooper and had been popularized by his books the previous year. Doris’ lifelong love of sports was fully realized as a coach at LA Valley College. She finally retired from that position less than 10 years ago. Now a resident of Pacific Palisades, California, she was first introduced to pickleball in 2010 by her good 30 friend Hilary Marold. “I went to the USAPA Nationals in Casa Grande, Arizona, the very first major tournament I entered, and won the 80+ women’s singles,” says Doris. “It was very similar to paddle tennis, so I knew that I could excel at it pretty quickly.” After Nationals, Roland Sunga, currently teaching pickleball at the Larry Maxam Recreation Center in Burbank, California, taped out a court and put up a portable net at a local Beach Club that Doris played at quite often. Roland and Doris and a couple of others would play every Wednesday, and quickly people began taking notice. Soon, the sport of pickleball became a favorite of many, and Doris and Roland would be at the forefront of the newest sport craze, conducting clinics and staging tournaments. Feeling right at home with a paddle in her hands, Doris quickly became an elite player in her age group. At the tender age of 88, at the 2015 Nationals, she took home gold medals in women’s singles and doubles in 80+ and a silver medal in mixed doubles 80+. Recently, at the Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, Utah, Doris captured two gold medals, one of them in mixed doubles with her playing partner, 92-year-old Army Matern. At this year’s Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships, Doris competed in the 3.0 division, 75+, 85+ in women’s singles and was edged out of a gold medal by Joyce Jones, losing in the finals 11-8 and 11-2. In doubles, she brought home another silver, teaming with Ron Schmeck. The duo lost the gold to Elaine Brady and Kenny Lewis. Two more silver medals for Doris to add to her collection. Despite battling osteoporosis and incidences of skin cancer, Doris Castaneda is forever rekindling that spirit of competitiveness spawned from those early days on sand-filled hills outside of L.A. While some girls gave up trying to buck the system, Doris persevered and forged a lifetime of memories on numerous athletic fields and now is having the time of her life on the pickleball court. A lifetime that is the envy of many, and while she is not overly fond of her nickname, it clearly resonates throughout the world of pickleball and is spoken in awe and reverence. • TO SUBSCRIBE CALL 888.308.3720 OR GO TO THEPICKLEBALLMAG.COM