Zephyrhills man with stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer finds strength, purpose on the pickleball court
ZEPHYRHILLS, Fla. - For Gary Buchanan, pickleball is more than a game; it's a place where, for a few hours, he can set aside the reality of living with stage 4 cancer.
The 65-year-old Zephyrhills man says the sport gives him a sense of normalcy, purpose, and joy as he continues treatment.
Zephyrhills pickleball battle
What we know:
Buchanan was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer in April 2024 after experiencing severe back pain that sent him to the hospital.
He said doctors discovered his kidney was no longer draining properly because of the cancer. Since then, the disease has spread throughout much of his body.
"It's everywhere except below the arms and below my thighs, but it's through my vertebrae and through my chest and in my skull and my femur and my joints and my hips and my shoulder up here has a big tumor," Buchanan explained.
A personal photograph shows 65-year-old Gary Buchanan smiling from his home as he continues his battle against stage 4 prostate
Traditional chemotherapy eventually stopped working, and Buchanan recently began a new round of chemotherapy infusions.
Even with treatment, he says he understands the seriousness of his diagnosis.
"Everyone is a ticking time bomb," Buchanan shared. "Everybody has a date. We just don't know if it's sooner or later. In my case, it's going to be sooner."
Mouratoglou Academy sanctuary
What they're saying:
Buchanan says the constant doctor's appointments, medications, and blood work can be overwhelming.
But when he steps onto the pickleball court at Mouratoglou Academy in Zephyrhills, he feels like himself again. He said, "Coming here, I'm just putting it behind me, and I don't even know I have cancer."
Gary Buchanan walks across the pickleball court at Mouratoglou Academy, where he finds relief from his cancer treatment schedule.
His determination has inspired those around him.
"Gary's not letting this define him," said Alison Nelson, chief pickleball ambassador at Mouratoglou Academy, "He's actually fighting it."
Future treatment plans
What's next:
Buchanan says he expects more chemotherapy treatments through January, but has no plans to stop playing pickleball.
Gary Buchanan prepares to return a volley alongside a partner during a pickleball match at Mouratoglou Academy in Zephyrhills.
For him, the court offers something medicine can't.
For a few hours, he's not focused on cancer. He's simply a pickleball player.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from a local broadcast interview with Gary Buchanan, who explained how he handles living with stage 4 cancer, as well as statements from Mouratoglou Academy ambassador Alison Nelson.