Heartbreaking Twist Sees 34-Year-Old Pickleball Pro Grapple With Life-Changing Mystery Illness

Where is Thomas Wilson? This 34-year-old pickleball player made a quick jump into the PPA Tour. He played collegiate tennis at Purdue University and The University of Texas, where his career was cut short due to injuries. Then after hanging up his racquet, he started working in the corporate sector. However, later on, he was introduced to the paddle sport by his parents. His light-hearted demeanor along with his agility and athleticism made him quite popular among the fans. However, even his pickleball journey was full of rough terrain! He has been out of action for quite a while, and recently we saw him share an update on his health with his fans.

It all started in 2022 when Thomas Wilson started experiencing isolated episodes of tachycardia while competing at tournaments. The condition caused his heart rate to jump to dangerous levels and forced him to pull out of several matches. Reflecting on these horrifying experiences he once said, “You just feel like you’re about to drop. You’re not in pain necessarily, but you’re out of breath and you just know that your body can’t sustain it.” He even experienced an elevated heart rate of up to 300 beats per minute! 

Doctors initially couldn’t detect the root cause of his problems but in June 2023, Dr. Rodney Horton and the team at the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David’s Medical Center diagnosed him with Wolff-Parkisnon-White Syndrome. It’s a rare condition that is usually diagnosed at birth. Patients with this syndrome have an extra electrical pathway that causes the heartbeat to beat abnormally fast for periods of time. How is he now, though?

Well, Thomas Wilson recently uploaded a video on his IG account with the caption, “Long overdue health update: The last several months have been a very trying time for me and my family. Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive as we continue to fight to get to the bottom of this. I desperately miss being on tour – I miss my friends, fans, and being out there with my family. We are continuing to pray for a comeback next year. I will provide another update here in a few weeks as we keep learning more. Love you guys. 🤟💙” In that video clip, he was heard saying, “So, I just wanted to give an update as to what’s being going on in my life and as a family and really regarding my health.“

He added, “So, just back after gym when all this started. I started having trouble breathing, shortness of breath, which got progressively worse over a couple of weeks, muscle twitches, muscle weakness to the point I reckon I couldn’t work out anymore or play tournaments or train. And the lowest point was I was sitting on the couch all day, every day and I can’t catch my breathe and I’m air hungry. You know, just beyond terrifying and miserable.” The pickleball player revealed that he even got hospitalized for several weeks and went to several hospitals in Austin, San Antonia. They couldn’t figure out the problem and had even got transferred to a male clinic for three weeks in Arizona during July-August. 

However, talking about his current condition, he added, “I leave male clinic, still no official diagnoses. There is something like inflaming your lungs and muscles, we don’t know what it’s which is just beyond frustrating.” The pickleball star also admitted that is desperate to get back to normal life and he also spoke about how much he misses the Tour and being with his friends and family. What’s next then for Thomas Wilson? “So the next step for us, we’re going to National Jewish Health this month,” he said that this step looks quite promising for him right now since they are specialist in respiratory issues and the issues that he has been dealing with.

Further speaking on his current health conditions Wilson said, “I’m stable enough to get out of my bed but just can’t do anything active. If I do my lungs get inflamed again and then I’ve trouble breathing for several more days.” His family has been with him through thick and thin. Let’s take a look at the strongest pillars of support for Wilson.

“I always want to support my husband” – Pickleball star, Thomas Wilson’s wife reflecting on her role in his life

Thomas Wilson’s mother, Tenley is a senior PPA Tour player and is a regular practice partner for her son back home in New Braunfels. His father, David is a regular attendee for tour events. They’ve played a crucial role in introducing Thomas Wilson with the pickleball. However, apart from them his wife, Brittany has also played a crucial role in helping him overcome all the challenges in his life.

In November 2022, they announced that would be adopting a child. Speaking on the role of his wife, Wilson once said, “She’s the anchor of this whole situation, and I’m just the support guy that doesn’t really know how to do anything. I am changing diapers – not all of them – but I’ve changed a fair number.“

Speaking about her supporting his husband in this incredible journey, Brittany once said, “I always want to support my husband in his dreams and help him reach his goals to the best of my ability…We are planning to still travel to tournaments and bring our baby girl with us to cheer him on. That’s one of the many blessings about pickleball.” Fans love watching Thomas Wilson play, so they’re keen to see him back in action. Share your favorite moment featuring this pickleball star.