From Pickleball to Recovery: One Patient's Journey Back to Mobility

Pickleball, anyone?

One evening last summer, Keegan Myers, 25, answered the call for a friendly game of America’s fastest-growing sport. At the time, she had no idea that the most valuable players on the court wouldn’t be her fellow “picklers” but members of her healthcare team.

That’s because during the game Keegan tripped, dislocating her ankle in three different places. 

“When I heard my ankle pop and felt my bones break, I just knew it was going to be a long road to recovery,” Keegan says about the moment that changed everything.

She was lucky that some people playing on a nearby court came to help right away. A retired air nurse and a retired paramedic knew exactly what to do, and emergency response services were called. 

Emergency care and surgery

Paramedics took Keegan to Gulf Coast Medical Center Emergency Department. X-rays revealed she’d suffered a serious injury: a right closed, displaced trimalleolar ankle fracture. This meant her ankle was out of place and three bones were broken—the tibia, fibula, and the talus (the "ball" of the ankle).

READ: Preparing for Pickleball: Injury Prevention Strategies for the 2025 U.S. Open and Beyond

The next morning at GCMC, her surgeons performed open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) surgery on Keeagn. They put metal plates and screws on both sides of her ankle to put the broken bones back in place so they could heal. 

“This type of surgery is common for bad breaks that can't be fixed just by wearing a cast,” she says. “I learned the ORIF is a common procedure used to repair fractured and broken bones. It’s recommended for severe fractures that can’t be helped with non-surgical methods, like a splint or cast. My surgeon said patients can have limited mobility for as long as 16 weeks with this type of break.”

Keegan’s recovery journey

Because she had required surgery, her orthopedic surgeon also developed a personalized treatment plan and collaborated with Keegan’s care team to support her recovery.

For the first two weeks after her surgery, Keegan couldn't put any weight on her injured ankle. She used a walker instead of crutches because, as she wryly notes, "I was scared of crutches, because I thought if I'm clumsy enough to do this playing pickleball, I probably shouldn't be trusted with crutches."

At her two-week checkup, the doctors removed the splint, stitches, and staples and gave her a walking boot instead. Keegan could begin putting weight on her foot, as tolerated—a small but important step toward getting better.

Keegan is thankful for the care she got at GCMC, she says. She’s especially grateful to Beth, her nurse, and Fitzgerald III, the facility therapy dog who cheered her up with tail-wagging visits. During this tough time, she was able to laugh at her new nickname, courtesy of her affectionate care team: “Pickle Girl.” 

Physical therapy: Keegan’s key to regaining mobility

Four weeks after surgery, Keegan started physical therapy at the Outpatient Center at Sanctuary in Fort Myers. She worked with physical therapist Marissa Crouse and physical therapist assistant Chad Pfeiffer. They created a special plan just for Keegan with help from the Lee Health Orthopedics team.

At first, therapy focused on massage and gentle movement of her ankle, since her leg muscles had become weak from not being used. 

"The first few weeks, it was really just massaging the area of my ankle, trying to get some kind of movement back in the foot," Keegan says. 

As she healed, therapy moved to harder exercises: using resistance bands, stepping up onto platforms, performing lunges, working on balance, and eventually, more active movements.

Thanks to this personalized plan, Keegan reached an amazing milestone—walking without her boot just four weeks after surgery. This was much faster than most people with similar injuries.

Keegan went to physical therapy twice a week for six weeks. She became close with members of her therapy team, which surprised her. 

"I just thought they were experts you saw once in a while,” she says. “But every time I saw my team, I noticed changes for the better. Over conversations where my team and I discussed work and life, my lower leg, which had atrophied insanely fast, started to strengthen. In just 12 sessions, I learned more about how my ankle works than I had in my entire life.”

Milestones and mental recovery

Throughout her recovery, Keegan celebrated important achievements: walking without the boot, driving again, and getting back her independence. These victories meant a lot because when she looked online, she found much more negative information.

"Everything I read online was saying, this will change your life forever. You will never walk again without a limp. You will always feel pain. And I don't have that," Keegan says. "I started walking pretty normally about three months after the surgery. Once I was able to start driving again, I felt like I got some of my independence back."

The importance of comprehensive care

Keegan credits her team at Lee Health Musculoskeletal Institute for providing advanced care and helping her regain mobility. 

“Bone and joint conditions can affect people of all ages, often making the simplest daily activities like walking up stairs and moving around the house more challenging,” she says. “Whether you’re recovering from an injury, managing a chronic condition or preparing for surgery, the expert care team at Lee Health Orthopedics will support you and cheer for you every step of the way, as they did for me.”

WATCH HEALTH MATTERS: In Keegan’s Own Words

What to do if you're injured playing pickleball

Keegan's experience offers helpful advice for other pickleball players. Sometimes all it takes is one wrong move—a trip or lunge for the ball—to cause an injury. 

If you get hurt, the best thing to do right away is to stop playing and rest. If it hurts to put weight on the injury or if there's a lot of swelling, you should see a doctor. An X-ray can show how bad the injury is and help decide the right treatment.

While Keegan may not play pickleball again anytime soon, this journey has given her a new appreciation for being able to move around freely and for the healthcare professionals who help patients heal. With the right care team and determination, even serious injuries can lead to great recoveries.

Today, Keegan is stronger than ever and on track to fully recover. She's ready to return to the activities she loves—showing both her determination and the great care she received throughout her healing journey.

The 'Tourney for the People' returns to Naples: U.S. Open Pickleball Championships

Pickleball Magazine calls the U.S. Open Pickleball the "Tourney for the People," and the stats back it up. This year’s event will draw over 50,000 fans and over 3,000 players from 40 countries.

Lee Health is the Official Healthcare System Partner of the 2025 U.S. Open Pickleball Championships. When you’re at the event, look for the familiar Lee Health leaf logo. You can find informational booths and healthcare messages throughout the park.                     

U.S. Open Pickleball Championships

When: April 26 - May 3, 2025
Where: East Naples Community Park in Naples, Florida
For more information, visit here.

Barbara’s Friends—Golisano Children’s Hospital cancer fund

As Golisano Children’s Hospital’s cancer fund, Barbara’s Friends has been raising a racket about childhood cancer for 28 years.  This year, Barbara’s Friends is honored to be the beneficiary of the pickleball tournament held on Friday, May 26, at the Naples Pickleball Center. Your gift will assist with the needs of patients, clinical trials, counseling, equipment, staffing and family assistance.

For those inspired to support a great cause while enjoying pickleball, consider donating to Barbara's Friends through the Lee Health Foundation. Please donate here.