How a LIVESTRONG at the YMCA graduate found strength, friendship and purpose through pickleball, fitness and the Southwest YMCA community amid cancer diagnosis.
The gym erupts with laughter, cheers and chants of "Go Steve!" as Steve Jensen settles into position on the pickleball court.
YMCA summer day campers, family members, friends and fellow pickleball players pack the sidelines, rallying behind him.
Across the net stands his opponent: Jesse Carr, owner of Super Scooper, dressed as the company's canine mascot.
For most people, it's a funny community event.
For Steve, it's something more.
Living with stage-four prostate cancer and preparing for another round of chemotherapy, he wanted to create one more memory while he still could.
"I have one more round of chemo left," Steve said. "I really wanted to schedule a game with him before that."
What followed was exactly what Steve hoped for—a gym filled with laughter, encouragement, friendly competition and an entire community cheering him on.
The match wasn't really about who won.
It was about making the most of today.
From Cancer Diagnosis to Community
Steve's journey began in April 2022 with surgery for prostate cancer.
"A couple months after that, it was determined I still had prostate cancer," he said. "I did 39 rounds of radiation."
The treatment worked, and Steve spent nearly three years cancer-free.
Then, during a routine PSA checkup, the cancer returned.
"Routine PSA checkup has shown that cancer has returned, or it started to grow again, or it got noticeable," he said.
Before finding the YMCA, Steve remembers feeling stuck.
"I was sitting home feeling sorry for myself," he said. "Nothing was working. Physical therapy can only take me to a certain point."
Then a doctor introduced him to LIVESTRONG at the YMCA.
In February 2024, that referral brought him to the Southwest YMCA for the first time.
The Sound That Changed Everything
When Steve arrived at the Southwest YMCA, LIVESTRONG Coordinator Jackie Wattenhofer gave him a tour of the facility.
"I clicked with her right off the bat," Steve said.
Then she opened the gym doors.
"She opened the gym door up, and I could hear the pickleball," he recalled. "I was hooked. I was like, 'What is this? Can I do this?'"
Jackie already had her answer.
"She said, 'I'm putting you down. You're gonna play pickleball.'"
That moment changed everything.
Steve began exercising regularly, learning his way around a fitness center for the first time.
"You ever lifted weights before?" he said. "I never did any of this gym weightlifting or any of that. Started here. They showed me everything I needed to know how to do, and they taught me how to keep track, progress, and I did it all."
Today, those habits are part of his routine.
"Now it's just second nature."
More Than a Gym
While exercise helped Steve rebuild strength and confidence, the biggest impact came from the people he met along the way.
"The support of the people you meet at this YMCA, particularly for me, is just outstanding," he said. "That's why I keep coming back."
Since joining LIVESTRONG, Steve hasn't missed a week at the YMCA.
"I haven't missed a week at the Y since I started LIVESTRONG," he said.
Whether he's lifting weights, attending SilverSneakers classes or playing pickleball, the YMCA has become part of his life.
"I can come in, and the person at the front desk knows me," Steve said. "We'll sit there and shoot the breeze for a little bit."
He's quick to recommend the Y to others facing cancer.
"Even if anyone with cancer could just come in in the early morning and do SilverSneakers class, wow," he said. "When you watch that class, you're like, 'Nah, it ain't nothing.' Come in and do it. It'll get the heart rate up."
Then he smiled.
"I leave, and that's the best I feel all week."
The friendships he found through pickleball have become just as important as the workouts.
"I love the group that I'm with," Steve said. "Some of the people I play with are my best friends."
Then he laughed.
"The most hilarious thing is I don't know any of their last names. They don't know my last name. But we are one tight-knit group."
Showing Up
These days, Steve still plays pickleball at least twice a week.
For him, it's more than a game.
"It is the best workout I get all week, because I play to win," he said.
That competitive spirit is what inspired the match against Jesse Carr.
After hearing that Carr had joked about visiting the YMCA dressed as the Super Scooper mascot, Steve decided to raise the stakes.
"What if you play me in a game of pickleball?" he asked.
Carr's response was simple.
"Game on."
Steve laughs when describing his opponent.
"He's half my weight, half my age," he said. "He's just got a great sense of humor. He's made me laugh when I didn't think I could."
For Steve, the match wasn't about the score.
It was about making memories, sharing laughs and celebrating the game that has brought so much joy into his life.
Most of all, it was about making the most of today.
And through it all, he still wears his LIVESTRONG shirt with pride.
"These shirts you get, you don't get 'em—you gotta earn 'em," he said. "Blood, sweat, tears. I don't wear it often, but I wear it proud."
As he prepares for another round of treatment, Steve remains focused on the things that matter most: staying active, staying connected and continuing to show up.
His message to others facing cancer—or any difficult challenge—is simple.
"Self isolation's gonna kill you," he said. "Get up. Move. Come get in the Y."
Take it easy on yourself and don't overdo it, yes. But for Steve, the YMCA became more than a place to exercise. It became a place to belong—a place where he found strength, friendship and reasons to keep moving forward.
Then he paused and reflected on the community that helped carry him through some of life's hardest moments.
"Southwest branch has a special flavor of people," he said.
And with that, he offered one final piece of advice:
"I never stopped going."
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘠𝘔𝘊𝘈 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘖𝘮𝘢𝘩𝘢’𝘴 160 𝘍𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘠 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘧𝘧, 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳 160-𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺.