Wesley Gabrielsen ’08 traded his tennis racket for a pickleball paddle and the result has been gold.
Gabrielsen, a history teacher and tennis coach at McMinnville High School, has amassed more than 100 gold medals and holds multiple national titles since taking up pickleball five years ago.
He had already made a name for himself as a four-year member of the Linfield varsity tennis team. Looking for a new challenge after college, he rediscovered a sport from his youth – pickleball.
It combines elements of tennis, ping pong and badminton, and features a wiffle ball the size of a tennis ball. Gabrielsen won gold medals at the United States of America Pickleball Association National Championship, the Canadian National Championship and the United States Open Pickleball Championship (twice).
Even more important than the national titles are the relationships he’s built, Gabrielsen says.
“You train, eat, travel and spend so much time off of the court with your pickleball peers that you foster great friendships as a result,” adds Gabrielsen. “Pickleball has improved my ability to be a successful educator, coach, friend and family member.”
– Natalie Kelley ’18