Sylvia Mergl’s Pickleball Journey: Sylvia Mergl, a 90-year-old resident of Fonthill, Ontario, is proving that age doesn’t stop passion. She will compete in pickleball at the U.S. National Senior Games Association championships in Des Moines, Iowa, later this month—just two years after picking up the sport.
Mergl plays twice weekly at the Meridian Community Centre and often practices at the outdoor courts in Centennial Park, Fenwick. A lifelong athlete, she stays active and focused, always craving competition and camaraderie.
From Softball Fields to Pickleball Courts
Sylvia Mergl’s sports journey began long before pickleball. She spent decades playing and organizing senior women’s softball.
“I played softball most of my life,” Sylvia Mergl said before a morning pickleball session at the Meridian Community Centre. “I organized and played on a senior softball team and we traveled. We had to go the U.S. and play, because there were no 50-and-over teams in Ontario when we started.”
Her team, the Sportaculars, launched in 1989 and won their first major championship at the National Association Senior Softball tournament. They celebrated that title again with a reunion in 2014.
A Life Filled with Games and Goals
Over the years, the Sportaculars played in 17 U.S. states and even made a trip to Japan. Mergl and her teammates remained competitive until the team disbanded around the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Now, she finds the same energy and spirit in pickleball, surrounded by new friends and challenges.
Looking Ahead
Sylvia Mergl’s story shows that sports can be a lifelong pursuit. With her trip to Iowa coming up, she continues to inspire others, showing that it’s never too late to start something new—or win again.
News in Brief: Sylvia Mergl’s Pickleball Journey
Sylvia Mergl, 90, from Fonthill, Ontario, will compete in pickleball at the U.S. National Senior Games in Des Moines, Iowa. A former softball champion, she now trains twice a week and proves that age is no barrier to competition, passion, or lifelong fitness.
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