Paul Jenkins, a 74-year-old from Cwmbran, Wales, continues to compete internationally in padel despite a 2023 diagnosis of age-related macular degeneration. The visually impaired grandfather coaches and plays for the Four Nations Wales men’s team, adapting his game to stay competitive. His story highlights resilience and the importance of staying active amid sight challenges.
Paul Jenkins, a 74-year-old pensioner from Cwmbran in Torfaen, has turned his passion for padel into a source of inspiration after being diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in 2023. This condition, the leading cause of blindness in the UK, affects nearly 1.5 million people, with AMD impacting over 700,000 individuals typically aged 50 and older. Jenkins first noticed symptoms like glare while driving at night and blurred vision during padel games, prompting an eye test that confirmed the diagnosis.
Despite the challenges, Jenkins remains positive and active. He has coached padel—a sport blending tennis and squash—for 17 years and competes with the Four Nations Wales men’s team for players over 60. After retiring from running a car dealership in Bristol and moving to Spain in 2007, he discovered padel, quickly excelling despite initial doubts about his fitness. "I was 20 stone and thought I’d be terrible at it," Jenkins recalled, noting his prior experience with squash and tennis from 40 years earlier.
Adapting to his impaired central vision, Jenkins relies on peripheral sight and strategic play. Indoor padel courts feature glass walls, which he uses to his advantage by letting the ball bounce for extra time to react. "The glass is my friend," he said, explaining how he surprises opponents, often from tennis backgrounds, with unexpected shots. He competes against sighted players and jokes, "People don’t want to be beaten by the ‘blind’ man."
Jenkins has faced cancer five times but views sight loss as particularly daunting, fearing its impact on seeing his wife, seven grandchildren, and continuing in the sport he loves. Yet, he undergoes injections to manage the condition and urges others with macular disease to stay engaged. "Padel is a fantastic social sport, but even if people don't want to try it, try pickleball, try the gym," he encouraged. "Whatever you can do, do it."
His determination underscores the emotional toll of sight loss, often likened to bereavement, and the value of activity in combating isolation. For support, the Macular Society offers resources via helpline 0300 3030111 or www.macularsociety.org.