Eighteen months after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a 73-year-old player from Staffordshire has found that pickleball offers something increasingly precious: a reason to keep turning up, keep moving and keep making plans.

  • Dave, 73, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease 18 months ago and now plays pickleball regularly in the Burntwood and Lichfield area.
  • Introduced to the sport by his brother in Canada, he and his wife Wendy often stay on court for back-to-back sessions under instructor Gill Hogan.
  • For some players, pickleball is less about improving and more about continuing to do the things they enjoy for as long as possible.

More Than Getting Better

Pickleball players spend plenty of time talking about getting better.

Better thirds. Better resets. Faster hands at the kitchen. A cleaner serve. A more dependable drop.

For many people, improvement is part of the appeal. The sport offers visible progress, small milestones and the satisfaction that comes from seeing skills develop over weeks, months and years.

For others, though, improvement is no longer the primary objective.

The goal is simply to keep doing the things they enjoy for as long as they can.

That is where pickleball has found a place in Dave’s life.

Finding Something That Fits

The 73-year-old retired tour guide from the Burntwood and Lichfield area was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease 18 months ago. Like many people facing a condition that can gradually affect movement, balance and coordination, he looked for ways to remain active and maintain confidence in his body.

Cycling had previously played an important role in his routine. Yoga and body pump classes followed, helping him preserve stability and mobility. But finding an activity that combined movement with enjoyment, social interaction and a reason to leave the house regularly proved more difficult.

The introduction eventually came from family.

Dave’s brother, who lives in Canada, encouraged him to try pickleball. The sport has become deeply embedded in communities across North America, often attracting players looking for something competitive enough to remain engaging, but accessible enough to continue playing later in life.

Dave decided to give it a go.

Today, he and his wife Wendy are regular participants in sessions led by instructor Gill Hogan. They frequently stay for consecutive sessions, extending their time on court and becoming part of the rhythm of the local pickleball community.

The Value of Looking Forward

For Dave, the attraction does not appear to be chasing rankings, entering tournaments or measuring performance against others.

Instead, pickleball seems to offer something quieter.

It provides structure.

There are sessions to attend. Partners to meet. Games to discuss on the drive home. Familiar faces waiting at the venue. Another opportunity to move, laugh, compete a little and return a few shots that might have seemed difficult only weeks earlier.

There is a tendency within pickleball to measure success through participation figures, tournament entries and the growth of the professional game. Those metrics undoubtedly matter.

Yet stories such as Dave’s suggest there may be another way to assess what the sport contributes.

Not by counting how many people discover pickleball.

But by considering how many people find that it allows them to continue doing things they feared they might gradually lose.

Organisations such as Parkinson’s UK frequently highlight the importance of maintaining physical activity, social connection and confidence in movement, all areas that many pickleball communities naturally foster.

Still Somewhere to Go Next Tuesday

Parkinson’s remains part of Dave’s life. Pickleball has not changed that.

What it appears to have changed is the shape of his week.

There are now sessions to look forward to, games still to be played and time spent on court alongside Wendy and other members of the local pickleball community.

For a player who once spent his working life helping others navigate journeys, that may be enough.

There is still somewhere to go next Tuesday.

Further Reading

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Chris Beaumont

Founder and Editor-in-Chief
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chris Beaumont is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of World Pickleball Magazine. Chris follows the global game closely, reporting on the latest news, developments, stories and tournaments from all five continents. He also hosts the World Pickleball Podcast, interviewing people at…

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