Article dated August 14/2025
Local pickleball girls are ‘golden’ at Ontario Senior Summer Games
Teresa Nahrgang and Nancy Sharpe won gold in the 3.5, 65+ division
Two local pickleball athletes were golden at the Ontario Senior Summer Games.
More than 800 athletes competed in 16 different sports at the event, held in Sudbury Aug. 5-7.
According to a news release, Peterborough’s Teresa Nahrgang and Nancy Sharpe won the Women’s Pickleball 3.5, 65-plus division. Competing in first day competition, Nahrgang and Sharpe won seven of their nine games to place first in their pool in round robin play. On the second day of competition, they won six of their seven matches to put them into the medal rounds.
Sharpe and Nahrgang defeated Christina Fair and Catherine Kealey from the Muskoka/Haliburton District in a close, very competitive semifinal match 15-14, to move on to the gold medal match where they defeated Lynda Frankland-Allard and Darcelle Levesque from Sudbury in the best of three games 11-0 and 11-5 to win the competition.
Other local pickleball athletes competing at the games included Danielle French and Jo-ann Walsh, who finished seventh out of 16 in the women’s 3.5, age 55-plus division. Eric Nahrgang and Bruce Bozec placed fifth out of 20, and Dave Adamson and Neil Jilesen placed ninth out of 20, both in the men’s 3.5, age 65-plus division.
All local competitors won gold medals at the District Ontario Senior Games held at the Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre on June 6, 2025 to qualify for the Ontario Senior Summer Games.
“This tournament was both fun and nerve-racking,” Nahrgang said. “The first day we had a 3½-hour wait between games and had no idea going into our second day where we stood in the standings. In spite of only playing a handful of games together prior to this event, we played so well together and it was like we had been playing for years. Nancy is such a strong player and I’m very grateful to have her as a partner. We calmed each other down when things got tense throughout the competition with positive energy and support. Two tournaments and two gold medals. Can’t beat that.”
“Often your biggest opponent in pickleball is your own and your partner’s mindset going into a match,” Sharpe said. “From the first serve to the final point, Teresa and I battled our way to victory. Teamwork in doubles is about chemistry, communication, and complementing each other’s playing style and I believe that led to our success. Many of our games weren’t always easy, but we never gave up. So happy to have played with a great partner and come out on top.”
The Ontario Senior Summer Games in Sudbury generated more than $1.5 million in local economic benefits to Greater Sudbury and the surrounding communities, Shelly Moloney, president of the Peterborough Pickleball Association, said.
“We look forward to someday being able to host these games at our new facility in Peterborough supporting our local businesses and benefiting our local economy. Congratulations to our local pickleball athletes who participated at the Ontario Senior Summer Games in Sudbury,” she added.