Moffitt Patient Finds More Than Just Fitness in The Game of Pickleball

Christine Roberts, 64, remembers her cancer diagnosis vividly. On her birthday in 2022, after completing a workout, her Apple Watch showed an elevated heart rate. It wouldn’t come down. So she went to the emergency room where they decided to run a precautionary CT scan.  

“The ER doctor came back and said that I had a bunch of cysts in my stomach,” Roberts said. “Around 5 that night, another doctor came in and introduced himself as an oncologist, and I knew right away what the cysts were. He told me he thought I had ovarian cancer, and he was right. Right away, I said transfer me to Moffitt Cancer Center.”  

Starting Treatment  

After chemotherapy and surgery, Roberts returns to Moffitt every three months for checkups. Since her surgery, she has not had any unusual findings.  

“Dr. Mitchel Hoffman saved my life, and I figure if my life could be saved, I can now take the time to make sure I am staying healthy,” she said.  

Moffitt’s 2024 event was the first pickleball tournament for Roberts, left.

Finding Pickleball  

One of the ways that Roberts stays active is by playing the game of pickleball.  

“Our local church was holding pickleball games inside three days a week, and I thought it was a great way to break up my workout routine,” Roberts said. “It is a sport where two older people can go out and play with the younger generation, and you can still play to win.”  

Her first tournament was Moffitt’s 2024 Pickleball Tournament, an event she plans to return to again this year.  

Funds raised from the tournament are used to benefit cancer research and innovations at Moffitt. Last year, Roberts was one of more than 200 attendees.  

“You are told all the time how important fitness is, but pickleball is not just fitness, it also feels like family out on the court,” Roberts said.  

This year’s two-day event presented by Humana and Conviva will be Nov. 8 and 9 at Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel.