I agreed to play in the Celebrity Pro-Am tournament, Purnell-Thomas Memorial Tournament, 2011. Didn't realize that I might be the only female player. It's a men's tournament. The other celebrities I was told about are Bill Reddish of WICO radio, Don Elkins of WBOC TV and me. Not sure who else is involved.
I am getting coached by an impressive figure, Vaughan Baker. He invited me to do this, and I told him I needed some pointers because I am not a tennis player. He loaned me a tennis racket, so he must realize I don't know what I'm doing. But he agreed.
I had my first tennis lesson this morning, Tuesday, July 19. I thoroughly enjoyed it, much to my surprise. He said he was favorably impressed, and he sounded genuine. I know I am impressed. He said he's coached the likes of John McEnroe. Now, I will never be pro material of course. But given the right connections, I could come to enjoy this game, and maybe this is the exercise outlet I've been needing.
We'll see how stiff and sore these old muscles are in the morning. I have a second session scheduled for 8 a.m. Wednesday. After an hour of running around hitting balls and taking frequent breaks to catch my breath and drink some water, I felt pretty energized and upbeat. But tomorrow may be another story. My aerobic capacity may be the biggest drawback. I'll need to build stamina to play in the tournament. But I feel better about it, I truly do.
