01/11/2026
Like many pickleball converts, Wayne West started out playing tennis. He played from age 9 through 65. “I stopped playing only because age made me lose a step,” he shared.
So, Wayne turned to the smaller, more manageable pickleball court. Now in his 70s, Wayne has competed in local, state and national pickleball tournaments, winning a gold medal at a world championship tournament in Dallas last year.
“It is a way to keep me young at heart and prove that, even at an advanced age, I can still perform at a high level,” he said.
Last July, pain in his right leg and knee started impacting Wayne's game. “After a 30-minute drive from pickleball practice to my home, I would need to slowly exit my car and hobble inside,” he said. “It was a big hindrance.”
Initially, Wayne did what many people do: he typed his symptoms into a search engine (which told him it might be an LCL issue). Luckily, he didn’t rely on that. He turned to us for proper diagnosis and relief. Our team evaluated Wayne’s knee and leg and discovered he had a tight Iliotibial (IT) band. They created a customized, stretching and strengthening routine to help.
At first, Wayne was skeptical about making a full recovery, but he kept at it and began to see changes. “The walk from the car to the house after practice, I was tired but no longer in pain. I felt like an athlete again.”
Wayne’s biggest goal was to prepare for the 2025 United States Senior Pickleball National tournament in Daytona Beach, and that’s what he did.
“Their kindness, skill and encouragement helped me fulfill that goal,” Wayne said. “My IT band is much better, so my movement on court and in all daily activities is much better. By the way, I won a silver medal and only missed capturing the gold medal by three points. Next year, next year.”
