Pickleball helps Naples player halt progression of Parkinson’s Disease

By Sean Martinelli

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    EAST NAPLES, Florida (WBBH) — Most people who see Bob Helder play pickleball at East Naples Community Park have no clue he has Parkinson’s Disease. Other than a slight tremor of the hand or a twitch of the foot, the side effects on a typical morning are often minimal.

“On a given day, I may not have any tremors at all,” Bob said.

First diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2008, Bob could not have imagined then where his life would be now.

“You have to accept the fact that it is what it is,” Bob said.

But once he began playing pickleball routinely in 2010, Bob’s life began to change.

“I noticed he was getting better, which is kind of counterintuitive when you’ve got Parkinson’s Disease,” Jim Obremski, a friend of Bob’s, said.

Doctors cannot fully explain how Bob is still functioning so well after 16 years with Parkinson’s. The only thing they can point to is the constant movement he gets from pickleball.

He currently plays the sport three to four hours a day. His time off the court is spent with his wife, children and grandchildren.

“It’s all good,” Bob said. “I actually think I’ve come out ahead.”

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