Photo courtesy of Ryan Anthony. Ryan Anthony, middle, takes a photo with kids at the Los Pisingos orphanage in Colombia during a pickleball practice he hosted in September 2024. Below: Photo by Samantha Davis. Anthony sits around medals he's earned through his pickleball career at Marshall's YMCA, where he first got into the sport. Below: Photo courtesy of Ryan Anthony. Anthony (middle) holds a trophy with the Colombian team during the World Cup in Peru in October. Below: Photo courtesy of Ryan Anthony. Anthony (standing, left) hosts a pickleball clinic in Peru in October for wheelchair athletes.

MARSHALL — A lifelong disability and going through adoption after an upbringing in an orphanage never slowed down longtime Marshall resident Ryan Anthony. Rather, the challenges still serve as fuel to influence others through the sport of pickleball. 

Anthony, a wheelchair pickleball player and certified coach, picked up a pickleball racket on a random evening in 2019 at the local YMCA. Since then, he’s coached internationally, given back to communities that hold personal meaning, and has collected significant hardware for himself in the process. 

“I’ve really enjoyed representing and competing,” Anthony said. “But, it’s also doing my part of being a tournament director, hosting tournaments, traveling, coaching clinics and doing fundraisers … That’s one of the biggest things.” 

Anthony was born in Bogota, Colombia, and spent time growing up in the Los Pisingos orphanage, until he was adopted at 18 months old. He made his way up to the Marshall area in 2001 to attend Southwest Minnesota State University and played wheelchair basketball, where he met his wife Leah Anthony. 

Anthony contracted polio, a virus that attacks nerves mainly in the spinal cord or brain stem, when he was eight months old which affects his left leg. He lives most of his life in a wheelchair, but still does have mobility of his legs and sometimes plays standing up. 

“Polio gave me an opportunity that I don’t think I would have ever had, so it’s really, honestly a blessing,” Anthony said. 

Some of the blessings Anthony refers to, is participating this year at the World Cup in Peru in late October, the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) tournament at Dallas, Texas, in early November and at the United States National Championships in Mesa, Arizona, also in November. 

At the National Championships, Anthony earned gold in doubles with his partner, Anthony Ryan, who lives in Alabama and the two frequently play together in tournaments. He also placed silver in singles and 4th in hybrid. 

Anthony joked that he and Ryan commonly get confused for one another, even though they are states away. Ryan also plays in a wheelchair. 

“I participate in the three popular divisions — Singles, doubles, and then hybrid. Hybrid is, I would say, probably one of the most important divisions for us, because it really emphasizes the inclusivity of playing with a standing player,” Anthony said. “They are putting into place the opportunity for us to play with other athletes standing up, as the wheelchair divisions continue to grow, and as we find other wheelchair athletes that are interested in pickleball.” 

At the PPA tournament, Anthony got gold in doubles with Robert Doyle, also from Minnesota. This was the first year the PPA had a wheelchair division. 

Being invited to play in the World Cup held a lot of meaning for Anthony. He got the opportunity to represent his country, which was always a dream that he now carries on every time he plays.  

“That was an amazing experience. There were 32 other countries there and I was able to represent my country I was born in, Colombia,” Anthony, who placed gold in singles and silver in doubles, said. 

There was not a wheelchair division for the team event, which consists of four games between women’s and men’s doubles, then mixed doubles. 

Despite not having a division for teams, Anthony was asked to be a representative for the para-division of Colombia, to represent the country and delegates that were competing. 

“That meant the world to me, because even though I was part of the World Cup, and there wasn’t a division (for teams), they wanted me to represent Colombia,” Anthony said. “That was the biggest honor of the world, because they didn’t have to do that … That’s why I am ultimately humbled by being able to have that privilege. That’s why I wear the (Colombian) jersey every time I play, even in the states here.”  

Anthony has been back to Colombia now 12 times to visit and give back to the Los Pisingos orphanage. 

“I wear their logo, because I represent the kids,” Anthony said. “I say that I play for the kids, because I am one of the kids.” 

Leah also plays pickleball with her husband, and has embarked on the adventure with Anthony. 

“It’s been amazing to watch, especially when we didn’t really know anything about it [pickleball] to begin with. It’s just been a snowball effect of everything,” Leah said. “To being invited to different places and being asked to represent his country, it’s been so cool to watch his journey. Especially with the connection to his country, because I know he holds a lot of pride in that.” 

Even with the multitude of medals and awards earned, Anthony prides himself on coaching. He has put on practices in the United States, but has also coached internationally in Colombia and Peru. 

As a certified coach with the Professional Pickleball Registry, and can coach any level of pickleball, Anthony visited Colombia in September to host a clinic for the orphanage and was able to provide them gear through local community sponsorships. 

“I had the privilege of working with Los Pisingos and a bunch of great pickleball athletes down there, as we put together a program where we got all of the kids from the school in Bogota to come out and learn pickleball,” Anthony said. “They got a bunch of paddles, shirts and shoes, and we gave medals at the end. It was so warmly welcomed by them.”

While he was in Peru for the World Cup, Anthony took another opportunity to host a clinic for athletes there. 

“That was amazing to watch them because they really took in all the information and things we were teaching them. The following day, we had a tournament that they were involved in, and you could see them implement some of the techniques and skills we taught them,” Anthony said. “It was really nice, because the Colombian team also was there to help assist with doing the teaching. This was just great to be able to have that relationship and do it all together, and see the results of them really enjoying the game.”  

Anthony also welcomed the participants to sit in his pickleball chair, to get a feel for what it’s like. 

All of this however, wouldn’t be possible without where he began his journey — Marshall’s YMCA. 

“I came out (to the YMCA) with any day that ended with a ‘Y,’ and Leah and I just absolutely loved it,” Anthony said. “It was just great to watch as the community continued to grow, and how much the YMCA invested gym time as it continued to grow. You’ve got older athletes here, younger athletes, middle age. It was every possible person you could think of was out there playing. It was a community.”  

Interim CEO at the Marshall YMCA Jamie Nauman also moved to Marshall a few years ago, and said the YMCA was one of the first places her family went to. 

“I really feel like our Y has a great sense of community here,” Nauman said. “It’s all just been one big community. You have little groups of people within all of these bigger communities, and I feel like everybody’s really supportive of each other.” 

From Nauman’s perspective, Anthony’s openness with his disability continues to spark inspiration not only in Marshall, but everywhere he’s taken his career to. 

“Having you (Anthony) visible in your wheelchair shows other people in the community what people in wheelchairs can do and how far their potential is,” Nauman said, motioning to Anthony. “Having resources for adaptive recreation programming is important … I think it’s awesome that you (Anthony) are here and you represent that community.” 

Anthony also is planning a Marshall area pickleball tournament for late March, which he will be tournament director. 

Also a sponsored athlete with SixZero, a premium pickleball gear company, Anthony is in the beginning stages of designing a wheelchair with Per4Max to create a chair that would incorporate features to better suit pickleball competition. 

As Anthony will continue competing and paving his way through the pickleball world, his mission will always come back to influencing others to join the sport and create a sense of community. 

“My highlight is not just the gold medals,” Anthony said. “It’s the growth and ability to have an opportunity to take and pass the torch, and share the passion with others so they can be their own ambassador, teacher, coach or player.”