Ask Marc Epsten to name the sports he’s been involved with over the years, and you might want to grab a chair.

Skiing? Check. Tennis? Absolutely. Baseball, track and field, bowling, basketball and recreational golf? He’s played those, too.

These days, however, there’s one sport sitting comfortably atop the podium.

Pickleball.

For Marc, who has called Kimblewick home for the past three years, staying active has been a way of life since he was about 7 years old. His mother was an athlete herself and became one of his earliest influences, even coaching him in tennis.

There was just one problem.

“She coached me in tennis until I started beating her,” Marc remembers.

At that point, it was apparently time to bring in an official coach.

Marc’s love of athletics followed him through high school and college. He competed in track and tennis in high school and continued playing tennis in college in Washington State. Basketball was part of his younger years, and at one point, he even joined a bowling league.

But tennis eventually gave Marc a front-row seat to the sport at a level few recreational athletes ever experience.

After serving as a USTA team captain, Marc became a USTA official and spent approximately 15 years working as a professional tennis linesman. His assignments eventually took him all the way to the US Open and put him on the court with some of the biggest names in tennis.

One encounter in particular has become a favorite story.

Marc was officiating a match featuring tennis legends Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi when he made two calls on Sampras aces. Sampras apparently couldn't believe Marc had seen them.

So he walked over to investigate Marc's eyesight himself.

“He took my glasses off, cleaned them with his shirt and put them back on me!” Marc recalls.

Not exactly your average day at the office.

Marc's officiating career also introduced him to wheelchair tennis, which he umpired for eight years. He remembers watching nationally ranked athletes compete, including one player who would toss the ball using his foot before striking it with the racket in his hand.

“It was a spectacle to see,” Marc says.

The experience left an impression that extended well beyond tennis. Watching those athletes compete gave Marc an even greater appreciation for his own ability to continue playing the sports he loves.

There has, admittedly, been at least one sport Marc decided to retire from.

Skiing.

His final trip down the mountain came after a fall while getting off a ski lift. Marc wasn't seriously injured, but after spending some time lying on the mountain, he experienced a first in his skiing career: riding the lift back down instead of skiing.

These days, he’s much happier with a paddle in his hand.

Marc prioritizes pickleball and even works part time at 3rd Shot Pickleball. His ideal day often begins on the court, getting in a morning game before tackling whatever comes next.

Being mostly retired certainly helps.

“When it was time for me to work, I worked,” he says. “Then when I had time to play, I would enjoy playing every minute.”

That philosophy continues today.

Marc’s athletic journey has taught him about teamwork, discipline and the importance of practice. His son has also become an inspiration, helping keep Marc active and, as Marc puts it, youthful.

His next challenge is already on the horizon. When Marc turns 65, he wants to find a 65-and-over tournament where he can compete at the highest level possible within his age group. More importantly, he wants to keep playing alongside his son.

And despite decades of competition, Marc’s definition of winning has changed.

Exercise comes first. Having fun is right alongside it. Winning falls considerably lower on the list.

“It’s fun being competitive,” Marc says, “but if that replaces having fun, it’s not worth it.”

After a lifetime of courts, slopes, tracks, bowling lanes and golf courses, that might be Marc’s best sports lesson of all.

Keep moving. Keep competing.

But above everything else, keep having fun!