At 74, Paul Jenkins from Cwmbran, South Wales, continues to coach and play padel despite being diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration in 2023. The visually impaired grandfather inspires others by competing internationally for Wales. His story highlights the challenges and joys of adapting to vision loss while staying active in sports.
Paul Jenkins, a 74-year-old from Cwmbran in South Wales, has immersed himself in padel for 17 years, first discovering the sport after retiring and moving to Spain in 2007. Back in Wales, he now plays for the Four Nations Wales men’s team in the over-60 category and coaches at the Welsh Padel Centre. His passion faced a major hurdle in 2023 when blurry vision during games led to a diagnosis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in the UK, affecting over 700,000 people aged 50 and above.
Jenkins first noticed symptoms while driving at night, experiencing glare that prompted an eye test. 'First it was more driving at night and I noticed I was getting a lot of glare from other road users,' he recalled. 'Then when I was playing padel I noticed a bit of blurred vision.' AMD, which has no cure and can severely limit daily activities like driving or reading, prompted fears for his future in the sport he loves. Yet Jenkins remains optimistic, undergoing injections to manage the condition and relying on peripheral vision.
Having battled cancer five times, he views the prospect of blindness as particularly daunting. 'I’ve had cancer five times, but I think being told you are going blind is probably the worst of what’s left,' Jenkins said. To adapt, he adjusts his gameplay, favoring shots off the glass wall for extra time to react, especially against opponents from tennis backgrounds who volley aggressively. 'The glass is my friend,' he joked, noting occasional timing issues from double vision.
A grandfather of seven, Jenkins urges those with sight loss to stay active. 'Padel is a fantastic social sport, but even if people don’t want to try it, try pickleball, try the gym,' he advised. Nearly 1.5 million in the UK live with macular disease, and support is available through the Macular Society.