Ken Sawer and Kathleen Fors: Ken Sawer, 80, and Kathleen Fors, 77, recently earned a trip to the USA Pickleball National Championships in San Diego after competing in a Golden Ticket tournament in Colorado Springs on July 12. The couple won mixed doubles in the 75+ division and also secured spots in singles and men’s and women’s doubles for Nationals.
A Long History of Competition
The couple from Carbondale, Colorado, first met at a tennis club in 1982. They reconnected years later, after Sawer’s first wife passed away, and have been married for six years. Sawer, a former high school tennis coach, teacher, and ski instructor, helped Fors, a life coach, return to sports she hadn’t played in decades. He also taught her golf.
Pickleball Success and Mental Strength
Together, Sawer and Fors have spent four years learning pickleball. They combine competitiveness with constant learning, Sawer said: “Our strength is we’re both competitive and habitual learners. I’m a coach by nature and she’s a coach by nature. So, we have our ups and downs like any husband and wife, but we’re on the same page also.”
Fors faced a tough singles final against a woman more than ten years younger. Sawer coached her from the sidelines, encouraging her:
“That’s OK, Kathleen. That’s the way you want to be.”
During a timeout, he reminded her:
“A competitor has to learn how to lose and in life you have to learn how to lose…You’re getting beat but you’re having good points.”
Despite losing, Fors stayed positive:
“I feel pretty good because I don’t play that much singles and she’s a lot younger. In the Olympics and golf and tennis, the pros all have people who help them with their mind game. I am very good at it.
Kenny is a good athlete, but I have a lot of tenacity on the court and that is from my own work on myself of high performance.”
A Strong Record in Tennis and Pickleball
Last year, the couple medaled in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles at the U.S. Senior Pickleball National Championships in Casa Grande, Arizona. They also recently won gold at the United States Tennis Association National Husband & Wife Doubles Championships in Kansas, following a silver medal at the USTA Husband and Wife Grass Court Nationals.
Future Competitions
Before the USA Pickleball Nationals, Sawer and Fors plan to compete in the Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, Utah, in October. They will play five days of tennis, three days of pickleball, and two days of golf. Sawer said:
“Anything that is competitive we like. She’s probably more competitive than I am. Together we’re driven. It’s all fun.”
Teamwork and Strategy
Fors explained how the couple works together on the court:
“I like competition, and he likes competition. One of my attributes is being athletic for my age. Kenny is very good and he’s very fast. So any short balls I can’t get to he gets to.
We’re really good at strategy, like finding out the person who’s a little weaker or has a little weaker backhand and play those shots.”
News in Brief: Ken Sawer and Kathleen Fors
Ken Sawer, 80, and Kathleen Fors, 77, qualified for the USA Pickleball Nationals after winning mixed doubles at a Golden Ticket event in Colorado Springs. The couple, also successful in tennis, combines competitiveness, strategy, and mental toughness. They will compete in multiple events, including singles, doubles, and mixed doubles, in upcoming tournaments.