All About the Heart: Kristin Jennings Long Road of Recovery Brought Her All the Way to Nationals
Jennings won a women’s singles title after surviving a serious heart scare in 2020, and now she wants to encourage others to take their health seriously.
Joanne C. Gerstner
Red Line Editorial
The moment of emotion took Kristin Jennings by surprise.
It wasn’t just playing at the USA Pickleball National Championships last month in Mesa, Arizona. And it wasn’t even winning the women’s (70-74) 4.0 singles title.
It was while she was being interviewed for social media and was asked about the accomplishment of winning her first national championship. That’s when her voice cracked a bit, and the tears came.
This moment was more than just about winning. It was about being alive and healthy.
Jennings, 70, survived a serious heart scare in 2020, requiring multiple stents in her arteries and a tough journey to fully recover her strength.
“I didn’t expect to get upset when I was asked the question, but it just happened. I’ve been through some stuff to get here,” said Jennings, who lives in Prescott, Arizona. “Being able to play in the nationals, and then to win the gold, was a special moment for me. I am able to focus on getting healthier and living my life the way I want to.
“I’ve always been active and played sports, and I didn’t want to lose that part of my life and be sick and weak. I’ve had to work hard to get healthy, and here I am. It’s a big thing.”
Jennings started playing pickleball at 61 with her husband Gordon, after seeing others enjoying the sport. She has always been an athlete, finding success competing in tennis, inline skating, cycling, downhill skiing and other pursuits. She also prides herself for being tough, which, ironically, was the root cause of her heart scare in early 2020 — just before the world was plunged into the COVID-19 pandemic.
She was playing in a pickleball tournament in Sun City, Arizona, but didn’t feel right. Her stomach sizzled with heartburn, something she blamed on some pizza. She also felt a little dizzy and tired. But she kept playing … with a nagging voice telling her something more serious was happening.
“I was in denial, because I wanted to keep playing,” she said, adding a laugh. “That was so stupid, especially when I look back now, knowing what I know. I could have died.”
She played singles, mixed and doubles in the tournament, making it to the finals. A week later, she played in another tournament and still felt weak.
Days later, she was in urgent care, hooked up to machine that was revealing a very abnormal EKG. The next stop was a cardiologist, who said she needed open heart surgery because her arteries were blocked.
“I was shocked and scared, because we were now getting into the time where we knew COVID was spreading, and I wasn’t sure if I would be able to get the surgery I needed for my heart,” she said. “We obviously had no idea where COVID was going, but we were really starting to get into it, and I was supposed to go home? And what — wait until they could do something, when I knew my heart was in trouble?”
She sought out a second opinion, finding a cardiologist in Phoenix who recognized the urgency and scheduled a timely operation. She received six stents, four more than the original diagnosis, and her new reality was recovery.
“I don’t believe I would be alive if I had waited, I wouldn’t be here — it was that serious,” Jennings, a retired court reporter, said. “It was all incredibly sobering, as I realized that I was having all the symptoms of like a clear cardiac event, and I am out there trying to play pickleball. I was so determined to play that I ignored my own health, and I could have had a heart attack.”
Jennings was relieved to learn her heart had not been damaged. She had the stents, her arteries were now open, and her heart was still strong. Playing pickleball and working on nutrition became part of her recovery. She returned to competitive play in 2021, taking part in seven small tournaments. In 2022 and 2023, she played locally and in club tournaments, working on improving her stamina and level of play.
But Jennings had lingering health issues, with her muscles feeling strange, and she suffered from hematomas, which are collections of broken blood vessels that can happen anywhere in the body. She was taking her prescribed blood thinners, but they were causing side effects that she hated.
She found a homeopathic doctor, and together they discovered she was diabetic. She has removed sugars from her diet, working on limiting inflammation. The results on her hard work became clear at the start of 2024.
She felt nearly back to normal, with the evidence of losing 30 pounds and being off nearly all the post-procedure cardiac medication. Jennings was turning 70 in 2024 and wanted to make a personal statement of her regained good health.
Jennings was back to playing pickleball at least three days per week and felt her strength was good. She set the goal: to play in the national championships again. Jennings had played at nationals in 2017, winning a bronze medal in 4.5 singles in her age group.
“I can say I have a different relationship with pickleball than when I started,” she said. “I am still very competitive and want to win, but the game means more to me than just that. It’s the fun, and the people. I enjoy the whole of being on the court and being with some really great people.
“I felt that turning 70 meant I should try to get back to where I think I should be. I wanted to attain that gold medal for my age group and show I can stay on the court and not feel as tired as I used to.”
Jennings’ win has been celebrated by her neighbors, family and club members, even if she admits she is a little shy about the accomplishment. Friends call her “a star,” and neighbors tell her she is now “famous.” She says thank you for their praise but tries to keep things humble.
The accomplishment of winning a gold medal is viewed as more than a title by Jennings. She sees it as a chance to encourage others to take their own health seriously, especially women.
“Sometimes I think about what I have gone through, and I think it is important for people to be reminded about taking care of their own health — don’t ignore things that feel wrong,” she said. “Get things checked out, ask for help if you don’t feel right, get a second opinion. You need to stay on top of this.
“I nearly made a really stupid mistake in ignoring my symptoms, and it could have been too late for me. I want everybody to look at me and I want to educate them. Take care of yourself. It is important.”
Joanne C. Gerstner is a veteran sports journalist and book author, with a focus on Olympic and Paralympic sports. She is a freelance contributor to USA Pickleball on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.
