Four years ago, Linda Einsiedler discovered Pickleball, a racket sport best described as a cross between badminton, tennis, and table tennis.

A former competitive tennis player, Linda quickly became hooked on Pickleball, the fastest growing sport in the U.S., after watching a local tournament. Now, Linda ranks among the nation’s top players in her age division.

As with many elite athletes, Linda has experienced her share of injuries. Pickleball competition has challenged her body with multiple upper and lower body injuries due to its fast-pace and high-impact movements. At the 2018 National Senior Pickleball Games, Linda took Bronze in Women’s Doubles, but was forced to stop after sustaining another hamstring pull.

She took 11 months off to rehab from various injuries under the supervision of her medical team, which included InterMed Sports Medicine. After sustaining several lower extremity injuries, Linda worked closely with Dr. Brad Wagner of InterMed’s Sports Medicine and her physical therapists to develop a low-impact strengthening and conditioning regimen.

Linda is happy to report that she has returned to national competition, taking Gold last year in the 500-player Atlantic Regional Pickleball tournament, and Gold in the Connecticut Master Senior Games, qualifying her for the USAPA Pickleball Nationals and USGA Senior Pickleball Games in 2019 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Linda is also looking forward to playing international competitions in Germany, Canada, and Spain this year.

A long-time InterMed patient, Linda is now cared for by Dr. Timothy McAteer, a Sports and Family Medicine physician. “Dr. McAteer is very easy to work with,” she says. “His sports medicine expertise complements my needs as an elite athlete, and he understands how important it is for me to sustain my active lifestyle.”

In addition to playing and teaching, Linda started Pickle for Peace, bringing Pickleball to Seeds of Peace, an international summer camp for high schoolers from countries of conflict. “This was the only place where you could see an Israeli Jew and Palestinian Muslim laughing and playing together as a team, and high fiving each other after every point,” she says. As a result, Pickleball can now be found in Jerusalem, Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Europe. Linda’s Pickle for Peace Project was featured in an issue of USAPA Pickleball Magazine last year.

Linda is also an USAPA Maine Ambassador, an occasional guest on podcasts, and travels throughout the Atlantic Seaboard conducting Pickleball rating clinics.

Linda laughs about the frequency of her visits to InterMed, and is quick to credit the Sports Medicine Team with keeping her healthy. “Quality of care from this group is exceptional, they have always responded quickly and caringly to my calls when I get injured. THANK YOU to the InterMed Sports Medicine Team!”