Words by Anna Lee Vaughn | Images by Ryan McGill
At ages 70 and 76, sisters Brenda Williams and Linda Brown have not missed a beat. “We’re seniors for sure, but we’re fun seniors!” says Linda. The two have stayed active throughout their lives, and with the growing popularity of pickleball, they are not stopping anytime soon.
Recently, Brenda and Linda participated in the Senior Olympics held in Opelika, Alabama, where they clinched gold medals in the 70 & Up division. Although they have been playing pickleball for just over a year, their extensive backgrounds in tennis and other sports have laid a solid foundation for their success.
Linda has played tennis for over 45 years, while Brenda has been involved in multiple sports since her school days. Both sisters took up tennis as adults, with Linda, a stay-at-home mom, participating in ladies’ tennis leagues during her children’s school hours. Brenda joined the tennis scene shortly after her sister and juggled playing with her work and coaching responsibilities for her daughters’ sports teams. Over the years, whenever possible, the sisters reunited on the court to compete in tournaments together.
The two played tennis until 2023. When braving the physical stress and heat became too much, Brenda introduced her sister to pickleball, and the rest is history. The sisters soon discovered the Alabama Senior Olympics through a friend.
Linda says, “We decided to go play, and we had the best time. They have a wonderful facility. There were over 500 people spread out over 24 covered pickleball courts. They had a great group of volunteers and people who knew what they were doing. They had everything set up, and it just ran like clockwork. And what I liked about it so much was that we met so many new people from all over the state that are friends now.”
With their first-place win, Brenda and Linda qualified for the National Senior Olympics in Des Moines, Iowa, and will represent Alabama in 2025. They were also thrilled to be offered sponsorship by Dink and Volley Pickleball in Opelika.
Pickleball’s burgeoning popularity is something Brenda and Linda wholeheartedly endorse, encouraging others to try their hand at the sport. “It doesn’t matter how old you are, you can get out and do something like this. It was just wonderful to see that many seniors out being that active because most of the time, you see a bunch of seniors in the buffet line at Golden Corral instead,” Linda says with a laugh.
Brenda adds, “So even if you don’t have to have a tennis background or even an athletic background, some of those people have never done any sports but can get out and learn to play pickleball. And you make it as easy or as hard as you want to, depending on how much you want to move. I’ve played every sport imaginable, and pickleball is just so addictive!”
The Walker Leader congratulates Brenda and Linda on this achievement and wishes them the best of luck at nationals! WL
