Hi there,I’m writing this from my hotel room in India at the end of a very long week. My throat’s starting to hurt, my body’s getting beat up, and I’m running on about four hours of sleep. We had a shot at the one seed in the playoff bracket last night and got crushed. Then today we got swept 3-0 in the elimination bracket. Didn’t even get in the lineup. Team event’s done. But this morning I woke up early to play 35+ with a local Indian player. Five or six matches later, we made it to the...
3 days ago • 1 min read
Hello friend, I'm playing pickleball again. Actually competing. And it feels like I'm battling a million things that have nothing to do with my opponents. I’m not able to walk on court and solely focus on figuring out the match anymore. I'm managing pain, an ostomy, the mental stress that comes with all of it, plus a body that's coming off knee surgery with almost no preparation. I'd guess most players here have played more in one or two months than I've played all year. They're training full...
6 days ago • 1 min read
Hi there,I’m in Mumbai playing the Global Pickleball League, and I went into this week expecting to get my ass kicked by the conditions. Every other time I’ve been in India, it’s been brutally humid - the kind of heat where you’re drenched before the first point ends and you’re thinking about hydration strategy between every rally. But it’s 90 degrees with 40% humidity. Dry. Manageable. I’m not sweating through my shirt in the first game. I played Split Age with Richard today - won our pool,...
8 days ago • 1 min read
Hello there,I got to Mumbai yesterday. Hit midday and the heat wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d be. The courts have this mesh covering that helps keep the direct sun off, and I didn’t even sweat all the way through my shirt. Still not taking any chances though. Found a mobile IV service and I’ll be getting infusions every other day, especially the night before I play. What made the day worth it was seeing some of the kids I’ve been coaching since 2023. We played together and it’s just cool to...
10 days ago • 1 min read
Hi friend,I’m on a bullet train right now. Shenzhen to Hong Kong. Fourteen minutes. I’ve never been to Hong Kong, so that’s exciting. Most work trips are pretty laser focused on the work itself, so actually having time to see a new city feels like a bonus. Tomorrow I fly out on Vietnamese Airlines with a stop in Hanoi, then on to Mumbai for a tournament. Didn’t hit today. Rest day. And honestly, that’s probably exactly what I needed. The week started rough. Monday through Wednesday were hard....
13 days ago • 1 min read
Hello there,I’m in Shenzhen trying to train. Yesterday I got through it. Today, each part of my body felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. My legs, my arms, everything. The fistula pain has been significant. And the exhaustion isn’t the kind where you’re tired but you push through anyway. It’s the kind where your body just stops. Mornings I feel okay. Then by early afternoon, I’m completely flattened. Yesterday I was in bed by 4 PM. Today it was 1:30 PM. Still here now. What gets me isn’t...
15 days ago • 1 min read
Hi there,I’m writing this from the Haikou Airport waiting for my flight back to Shenzhen. It’s 7 PM and I’ve been moving since 5:30 this morning for what turned into a same-day round trip to Hainan Island. Two flights, a 40-minute train, meetings at a sports academy where we’re building a full-time boarding pickleball program. 24 students. Hiring coaches. Setting curriculum and training standards. Real expansion stuff that I’m genuinely excited about. And I’m completely wiped. I knew today...
17 days ago • 1 min read
Hello friend,I’ve been creating awareness videos this week for Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week. One each day. Just trying to give more visibility into something that’s not an incredibly visible disease. Sharing the hard stuff, the stuff I don’t necessarily want to share. Talking about the emotional weight and the invisible aspect of having Crohn’s and all the things that are hard to articulate about this condition. It brings up some insecurity. This stuff feels personal and internal. But...
20 days ago • 2 min read
Hi there, I’ve been in Shenzhen the past couple days getting good reps on court with Yu-Chieh and Fareez, both Ramsports players. We’ve been working through patterns, talking about what they’re trying to improve, and it feels good to be useful in that way again. That part’s been good. My knee feels pretty solid. I’m moving well enough and enjoying the training. But today reminded me, in the worst way, why I have a colostomy. I have what’s called a diverting loop colostomy, which means it’s...
22 days ago • 3 min read