Marcus Woodhouse reluctantly tried pickleball after a glue sales guy at the foam factory he works at told him about the sport and begged him to try it. When he finally played he was hooked, leading to many on-court accomplishments. Off the court he became the president of the Indy Pickleball Club, which he helped to build into the foremost organization for pickleball in Indianapolis. The game took him back to his childhood when he and his brother had good times in their home playing ping pong.
“My brother and I had a rule, a free shot for whoever won the ping pong game. You pulled your shirt up and took a smash. I thought to myself, “I can smash without winning. I love this game,” he said.
The Childhood
She was just 20 years old, a young mother with 3 children when one night, she fell asleep in a chair with a lit cigarette in her hand. The house was soon engulfed in flames, and she somehow got out with 2 of her children through the flames and smoke. She told the firefighters that still inside, amidst the chaos and in his crib, was her baby 11-month-old, Marcus. A firefighter saved him. At one point, he died, and they had to resuscitate him. As a reminder, the firefighter received a purple heart and Marcus still has the slightest third-degree burn scars on his forehead and hand. After the fire, the young mother left her children and ended up in California.
“By the time she came back, our father had determined he couldn’t raise us himself and gave us up for adoption,” he said.
The 3 children were fostered by a couple that already had 2 kids of their own. The initial plan was for an extended family member to take the children, but they couldn’t do it. They kept needing more time and asking the foster couple to keep them. Mr. and Mrs. Woodhouse said they would keep the three, but permanently. They wanted to adopt and be a family.
Marcus kept his first name and was given a new middle and last name, going from Marcus Franklin Swords to Marcus David Woodhouse.
“There were complications with them being from a different county and other paperwork. They fought to have us. They were always honest with us. We were lucky they were there,” he said.
Marcus was loved and cared for, but he had to balance the challenges of the house fire.
“I was in LD classes, having been dead for a short time. Processing and spelling were a challenge. School was hard; I had to really work. Even now, it isn’t always the same. I can stump spell check,” he joked.
He accepted his classroom struggles and appreciated the blessing of his parents, an older stepsister and a stepbrother interested in his progress. He also had a close relationship with his sister and brother. When things were difficult Marcus always had a positive perspective on the situation.
“We were always told we were adopted. We knew everything that had happened. I said even then, someone always has it worse. Was it perfect? Could it have been better or worse, yes? Our birth parents couldn’t do it. They were too young. I felt better off with people that wanted us. I like to think this was the place I was meant to be,” he said.
When Marcus was in high school, he showed his brother a clip from the school paper that listed the name of a student who shared their birth last name. They had a half-brother in the same school as them and had it not been for the school paper, they would have never known. This led to Marcus, his brother, and his sister meeting their dad. He was a mile away their whole life. They even determined that he drove past their house on the way to work for a couple of years, not knowing his children lived there.
Marcus’ birth mother moved back home to care for her mother, and the children met her as a result. Marcus balancing it all, as always, with a positive perspective, would eventually invite both of his birth parents to his graduation. He was amazed that his adoptive parents were so supportive, even giving his parents a photo album documenting their children’s lives.
Pickleball
Despite the trials of his childhood, pickleball reminded him of fun times with his brother. Playing pickleball gave him the chance to smash the ball without winning a game, he simply had to work for the shot to put it away. His success and progress in the sport is due in part to him studying angles when playing. He explains it as a way to get people to move by putting the ball in the right spot. His inside-out shot takes people a while to figure out and he reads and reacts to shots with precision.
Shortly after his engagement with the sport began, he was recovering from a neck surgery and thought his tremors, rigidity, and cognitive issues were related; part of what he had to overcome. He was wrong. He learned he had Parkinson’s disease and processed the doctor’s diagnosis. He locked into his thoughts and hardly moved.
“It took me 3 weeks sitting at home trying to say it out loud. It is ok. I’ve got Parkinson’s. To try to say it without crying was so difficult. After I was comfortable, I said ok, let’s go, whatever I need to do,” he said.
Woodhouse became one with his body since the diagnosis. He has to balance the shakes with his medications. Otherwise, he is unable to react during pickleball. He times his life against Parkinson’s effect. He accepts tremors when he is playing versus being lethargic due to medication. He can take pills up to 3 times daily but consumes them at night. He is more aware during the games this way.
“My hand doesn’t fire like normal during a game, so I adjust it. I ask myself what my body is doing today and how do I adjust. It is hard work, but I’m still having fun playing pickleball.”
He is now a pickleball instructor and wants to help people with Parkinson’s to use pickleball as a way to remain active and keep busy. He is a member of Rock Steady Boxing, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that gives people with Parkinson’s disease hope through a non-contact boxing based fitness curriculum. That community has motivated him and shown him firsthand how sports activities can improve the quality of life for Parkinson’s patients. His boxing group even plays pickle on some Saturdays.
“It can be more than a small pickle group. I want to be part of that,” he said.
Stop and taste the ice cream
Having been divorced twice and his two daughters both in college, he is focusing more on the next adventure, and joining him is his girlfriend and mixed partner, Becca Hsu. Woodhouse spends most of his time with her. They travel about in their converted Sprinter van from tournament to tournament and need only a parking spot for a place to stay. Woodhouse nabs medals along the way, all at the 4.5-5.0 level.
Woodhouse has also learned to enjoy his time away from the game. He and Becca don’t just play in tournaments these days. They also explore cities and go camping. They soak in the town’s local history or just sit somewhere and chat away the day without a pickleball clanging in earshot. They both have their reasons for wanting to live life to the fullest and making the most of their time, knowing things can change in a heartbeat. Perhaps their favorite thing is collecting a favorite ice cream location in every town they visit.
“Becca prefers more decadent flavors, like deep chocolate. I look for something lighter, something different like cotton candy,” he said. “One thing that is certain is we find favorites in every city.”
Slowing down a tad allows Woodhouse to avoid becoming too locked in on what may happen with his disease. He is well aware of the changes with Parkinson’s and how fast they may come.
“I’m looking into a procedure called a deep brain stimulator to help with my tremors. I’ll do what I have to, but I won’t dwell on it now,” he said.
For now, Woodhouse continues moving forward, fully aware that his life would not have been possible had it not been for a firefighter, an adoption, his positive outlook, and so many kind, honest, and giving people.
Images provided courtesy of Marcus Woodhouse.
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