Senior Fitness 55+ Pickleball Champions: Two local women won gold in pickleball at the Senior Fitness 55+ Provincial Games in Swift Current. Mailyn Janette Lucas Leyeza and Grace Modesto took the top prize in the Ladies 55-59 doubles category, showcasing their skills and teamwork. Lucas Leyeza also earned bronze in mixed doubles with Manny Capulong.
From Tennis to Pickleball
Lucas Leyeza explained their journey to pickleball. “Usually we played tennis,” she said. “Then during winter there is no indoor tennis much. She asked me, there’s a pickleball ongoing. We started playing and then we’ve got hooked on it and it’s good. Our partnership is very good.”
Competitive Spirit
The duo quickly moved into tournaments. “I am a very competitive person, right?” said Lucas Leyeza. “We started joining tournaments last February. Every time there’s an ongoing tournament, we’d like to try it. This Summer Olympics, this is for the people 55 plus, right? It feels amazing, and we’re grateful, and we are excited. It’s never too late to be active and competitive. That’s why we decided to join so others will be inspired also that even if you are 55 and senior already, there’s still a chance for us to be athletic and having fun.”
Enjoying the Games
Reflecting on their performance, Lucas Leyeza said, “We did great. There are some ups and downs during the tournament. There are some teams that are so good, really, and they are very competitive. We just communicated with each other and we had our game plan. The most important thing is we said to each other, let’s just enjoy and have fun while playing.”
Other Winners
While not all results from the southwest are available, other medalists included Wes Sloman and Ken Pigott, who won gold in cribbage. Jody Christmann and Darlene Glass took silver, while Mark Stock and Less Shaw earned bronze. The Swift Current-based Wrinkled Warriors won bronze in Slo-Pitch. Over 400 athletes and supporters took part in the 55+ games.
News in Brief: Senior Fitness 55+ Pickleball Champions
Mailyn Janette Lucas Leyeza and Grace Modesto won gold in Ladies 55-59 pickleball doubles at the Senior Fitness 55+ Provincial Games. Lucas Leyeza also won bronze in mixed doubles with Manny Capulong. The event featured over 400 participants and included other sports like cribbage and Slo-Pitch.
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