How can pickleball help someone rebuild strength after cancer, find a new community, and become a coach, referee, and leader in the sport?

In this episode, Sandy Smith shares her inspiring pickleball journey, from being diagnosed with uterine cancer and undergoing surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, to finding her way back to sport through pickleball. Sandy talks about returning to play while still living with a port, discovering that pickleball was both physically possible and emotionally healing, and how the game gave her a new path forward after she had stepped away from running, tennis, bowling, and other sports she once loved. 

Sandy also shares how pickleball led her into coaching, refereeing, and community leadership. She explains what it takes to become a certified USA Pickleball referee, what players misunderstand about referees, and how she helped grow the Macon Area Pickleball Club from just 16 members to more than 100. Along the way, she offers practical advice for new players, including key fundamentals like “return and run” and the importance of building confidence, community, and consistency on the court. 

This is a heartfelt and helpful conversation about pickleball, uterine cancer, cancer recovery, Lynch syndrome, pickleball coaching, pickleball refereeing, USA Pickleball, beginner pickleball tips, pickleball community, and the life lessons that remind us we have more in common than we do differences. 

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📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

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A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

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Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen 

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