Helene Afeman traveled to San Diego with one pickleball partner, and earned a medal with another. 

Afeman, 62, of Colorado Springs, earned a silver medal at the USA Pickleball National Championships in San Diego on Thursday, but not in the event she qualified for.

Afeman competed in the tournament in mixed doubles with her pickleball partner, Michael Tingstrom, but also found a doubles partner, Jacquelyn Campbell, 51, that she would go on to earn a silver medal with in the 50-54 4.5+ division. 

“When you qualify, you can play in multiple events when you get there,” Afeman said. “So my mixed doubles partner set me up with (Campbell). Her personality was energetic and exciting. We had the same mentality of good spirit on the court, we laughed and joked a lot. Had fun. That was the ticket to doing so well.”

Afeman and Tingstrom qualified for the national championship by winning the 55-60 4.5+ mixed doubles event at a Golden Ticket qualifier at Peak Pickleball in Colorado Springs in July. It was Afeman’s first time qualifying for a national tournament. 

“It was a blast,” Afeman said of nationals. “I was happy to be part of it.”

Afeman taught pickleball to kids in the ’80s as a school teacher, and picked it back up in the last eight years with the sport’s resurgence. She enjoys the accessibility of the sport to all ages and abilities. 

“That is absolutely the best part, the age variance and you can play it forever,” Afeman said. “The pickleball community is so welcoming, even at high levels of expertise. I’m eager to get on the court with anybody and everybody.” 

Afeman and Campbell played through several rounds and a rain delay to reach the finals, where they fell 15-9 to a pair from Washington. 

Afeman feels lucky for the experience and the joy that pickleball has brought to her life. 

“I think about all the time how lucky I am to be ale to do the things I do with the people I experience joy with, pickleball being one of those things,” Afeman said. “The whole point in life is to not take anything too seriously and to have fun as long and as much as you can. That’s my goal, is to go out every day and find joy and pickleball does that for me because of the people.”