Kory Kelly at
the Minto US
OPEN in April.
How One Soldier
Turned the Stresses of War into
PICKLEBALL
THERAPY
K
ory Kelly, or “K2” as his friends refer to
him, is a man on a mission to help people
who battle Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD), depression and anxiety find relief
through what he calls, “Pickleball Therapy.”
As a previous United States service member, this isn’t K2’s
first mission, but it may be his most difficult. Kory, like
many others who return to civilian life from serving their
country, battles PTSD.
As a young man, Kory was outgoing, joyful and full of life.
He was also passionate about serving his country and, to
no one’s surprise, enlisted in the United States Air Force
shortly after graduating college. Throughout his career
K2 experienced many challenges both personally and
professionally that left him scarred, broken and buried in a
hopeless downward spiral of depression.
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He rarely left the house and, when he did, would withdraw
from crowds and noise. His family was worried about him.
Kory recalls, “They just wanted their husband, father and
son back. I thought returning to civilian life would make
everything better, so I resigned from my career to make a
fresh start.” Kory continues, “What I found is that things
actually got worse. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get
away from my past experiences.”
Knowing something had to change, Kory reluctantly
agreed to meet with a therapist who specializes in helping
those who suffer from traumatic events. Almost immediately
Kory was diagnosed with severe PTSD and depression.
Kory began working with his therapist, who issued day-
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