Plot Twist: From Motocross to Pickleball

Taylor Nichols has found his purpose: Championing adaptive pickleball—and helping others participate more fully in life.

Over the past several months, I’ve been unexpectedly introduced to the world of adaptive pickleball. In my traveling and pickleball “networking,” I’ve just happened to meet or be introduced to a number of people who have needed to adapt their approach to pickleball to meet their circumstances. I say “just happened,” but do these things ever really just happen? My curiosity has been piqued and I’m seeing how this fabulous sport really does change the lives of everybody who plays, no matter how we play.

In today’s column, I’ll focus on just one person doing interesting work in adaptive pickleball—particularly interesting because he knows this arena both professionally and very personally. There will be follow-ups, I’m sure—about Taylor, about other adaptive athletes, about what’s happening in the world of adaptive pickleball.

Meet Taylor Nichols

Please let me introduce you to Taylor Nichols, a born-and-raised Texas guy currently living in Burleson—a smallish town south of Fort Worth. Taylor is a national pickleball Triple Crown winner, which means he won three gold medals in a single tournament: coed singles, coed doubles, and hybrid (wheelchair + standing partner) doubles in the 4.5 wheelchair division.

Photo provided by Taylor Nichols.

He’s also the adaptive pickleball coordinator for Chicken N Pickle, a booming “eatertainment” pickleball franchise headquartered in North Kansas City, MO. It was primarily my interest in his professional work with adaptive pickleball that sparked our conversation; I couldn’t know I’d get such a motivational personal story to boot.

Over at More to Your Life, I write a lot about people doing cool things, pursuing big dreams, and creating lives and work we like—and felt like I could just as well have been interviewing Taylor for that publication. We covered so much ground in our interview that I feel like I should be writing a book, not just an article, about him. Maybe we can consider this the trailer to his book…

Plot twist

Taylor was living his dream life at 26—working as a dental technician, had recently met his goal of buying a house by 25, and was traveling the country competing in motocross.

Photo provided by Taylor Nichols.

On December 29, 2017, he had what we would call a pretty major life plot twist. While competing in a motocross event, he wrecked and suffered what’s known as a T6 spinal cord injury. He was left nearly paralyzed from his mid-abdomen down.

Doctors suggested that he sell his house and plan to live in a care facility for the rest of his life. They negatively forecasted that he wouldn’t ever be able to walk again: “Your core strength won’t be enough to walk.” His response? “Yeah, right. I love a good challenge and someone telling me I can’t do something.”

He took that negative forecast and used it as fuel. To this day, he is serious about maintaining his muscle tone and works hard at limited walking in braces, physical therapy, and strength training. The alternative is muscular atrophy and he’s not interested in that. Boy, if there isn’t a lesson in that for all of us—something about using what we have so we don’t lose it. Taylor’s hard work is paying off, and he’s starting to be able to feel things near his belly-button.

Finding pickleball and his purpose in it

Several years after his life-altering injury, he found pickleball—and it’s become a big part of his life, his work, and his mission—helping others live fully no matter their circumstances.

In his full-time work at Chicken N Pickle (CNP), he facilitates adaptive programming at their twelve existing locations, with four more in the works. He is happy to be part of a company that genuinely cares about the communities they are in. For them, this is not just a motto on a wall, but something they match with a lot of action and heart. Making pickleball play possible for all is just one way they do this.

Case in point: They have two sports wheelchairs at every location for people to use. And considering that a sports chair can cost up to $8,000, having chairs available makes it possible for people to try the sport to see if they even like it, and use CNP chairs if they can’t afford their own sports chair.

In his role, Taylor gets a front-row seat in helping others get not just into this game, but to more fully participate in life—to participate in a sport for sometimes the first time, to have fun in their unique body. Our conversation was instructive as he highlighted for me a couple things that make adaptive pickleball unique, even in the world of adaptive sports.

Highlights of adaptive pickleball

First, pickleball is wonderfully no-contact; many adaptive players have experienced traumatic injuries and are understandably reluctant to participate in an activity that might cause further pain or injury.

Second, it’s a rare sport an adaptive player can easily play with family and friends. Sports like wheelchair basketball or football understandably don’t have hybrid divisions.

Third, the strategy is nuanced from traditional play. The second bounce allowed in adaptive pickleball isn’t necessarily an advantage since it can make any spin on the ball even more unpredictable. And you have to read shots even more carefully to position yourself—and your paddle—on the court based on what return they hit.

He’s found his purpose in life

Like I said before, Taylor’s story and the experiences he’s having really warrant a book. He says about his plot twist:

“I almost live a better life now. I built myself up and thought I was living on top of the world, but I almost get more satisfaction out of seeing other people become a better person, doing things they thought they weren’t capable of. Money can’t buy that… I’ve found my purpose in life, helping others find and become the best version within themselves.”

That purpose is evident in stories like this one.

At one Chicken N Pickle location, Taylor was encouraging a guest in a power wheelchair to get out on the court and give pickleball a try. She refused, skeptical that she’d be capable of it and reluctant to even try. Side note: Who among us hasn’t been that person?

Anyway, Taylor kept at it, assuring her that they could adapt however they needed to in order to make her play possible, and nearly begging her to just try it. She was finally open to his influence and gave it a whack, he suspects, because she appreciated that “he’s like me.” And we can all be glad that she did, since it didn’t take long before her face was lit up, smiling ear-to-ear. In her words: “I haven’t had this much fun in 20 years.” It probably goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway—she’s become a regular.

What a game and a world we’re all part of, eh?

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