Feature
LEGENDARY JOYCE JONES NOT READY TO PUT DOWN HER PADDLE AT 94
Jones was recently honored by USA Pickleball and Blue Zones Kitchen at a Golden Ticket event in Mesa , Arizona .
by DREW SILVERMAN
RED LINE EDITORIAL
As Joyce Jones walked off the court , she admittedly was feeling disappointed .
She and her partner had just lost a pickleball match , managing barely a point in the process . Jones is competitive and certainly did not enjoy losing in a Golden Ticket tournament ( which qualifies gold medal winners for the 2024 Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships )— and on her birthday of all days .
Just then , however , Jones received a surprise that turned her entire day around .
“ When we came off the court , I was so discouraged ,” she said of the recent event in Mesa , Arizona . “ But then two gals presented me with a beautiful , beautiful birthday basket . I was so surprised . You could have knocked me over with a feather !”
The gift basket , which was courtesy of USA Pickleball and Blue Zones Kitchen , was just the beginning .
“ Then ,” continued Jones , “ over the loudspeaker , which you could hear from Court 1 to Court 41 , they announced , ‘ We want to welcome Joyce Jones , who is playing singles , doubles and mixed in this tournament . And she is 94 years old today .’”
That ’ s right , 94 years old . A birthday worth celebrating , for sure . And that ’ s exactly what the pickleball community did on April 4 .
“ There were about 1,300 players at the event ,” Jones recalled , “ and about half of them wished me a happy birthday ! It made the tournament for me . That ’ s what makes things so exciting and that ’ s why I ’ m still playing tournaments .”
It is not an exaggeration to say that Jones was one of the original pickleball players . She and her late husband , Don , learned the sport from one of its founders , Joel Pritchard . At the time , Jones was an accomplished badminton player and a developing tennis player . She was drawn to pickleball immediately and has gone on to enjoy a marvelous playing career featuring many medals in singles , doubles and mixed doubles at the USA Pickleball National Championships , the Huntsman World Senior Games and the National Senior Games .
Not only is Jones still playing today , but she is still winning — and oftentimes against opponents in their 70s and 80s . Just recently , Jones and her partner , Barbara Wintroub , won silver in the women ’ s 75-79 category .
“ I don ’ t know how we did it ,” Jones says with a chuckle . In terms of her health , she is doing well . Perhaps her biggest issue is a nagging hamstring injury . But all things considered , after 23 surgeries — including a knee replacement — Jones is going strong these days . “ I don ’ t feel 94 . Hopefully I ’ ll feel the same way when I ’ m 100 .”
What exactly is her secret ? “ I ’ m probably just lucky because I got good genes ,” she says . “ I also never
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