In a sport with love as one of the scores, it is inevitable to uncover inspiring, life-affirming stories. Over the next five days, Tennismonth.com will feature five uplifting and inspiring stories. The first is a husband-wife tale of a shared diagnosis and boundless determination. Two others prove the depths of devotion possible when one partner – whether on the court or in life – is plagued by an organ failure. Another is about how tennis allowed one women to get her life back. The final story is how one man’s talent at his job translates to success on the courts. Please be sure to check back each morning this week to read another inspirational story.

By Seth Sylvan

Randy Jensen of Salt Lake City, Utah, leads a busy life performing brain surgery and conducting cancer research at the University of Utah Huntsman Cancer Institute. Given the intensity of his schedule, it’s important that he has a place to go to blow off some steam.

That place happens to be the tennis court because what started as an attempt to keep up with his wife turned into a way to unwind. “I really just wanted to improve my game so I could beat my wife every once in awhile. I didn’t expect it to be mental therapy.”

Jensen has toyed with the game for awhile, but it wasn’t until this last year that he played consistently. In order to make time for the sport he is falling in love with, Jensen adjusted his schedule so that he is able to work during the day and play tennis later in the evening. “I enjoy playing so much, it was worth moving my schedule,” he says.

In spending more time on the tennis court, Jensen met several other men at a similar level of competition and joined them to form a 2.5 team. The group, representing the Intermountain Section, made it to the final day of the 2007 USTA League Presented by Chrysler 2.5 Adult National Championships but came up a little short, as they settled for fourth place. Perhaps it’s Jensen’s prowess in the operating room that has helped him become such an asset to his team on the court.

Tennis is a game of concentration, and that is very similar to being in the operating room. When you are competing, you need to know how to respond to the situation at hand, and you need to focus on your strategy and hand-eye coordination. It’s important to be able to think on your feet because you never know what to expect.”

Jensen plans to continue extending his talents in the medical field to his development as a tennis player. Through long hours working to find the reason brain tumors develop, late hours playing tennis and priceless hours making great memories with his teammates, Jensen has found that tennis is a lifelong game. It’s a way to clear his head, exercise and develop new relationships.

Tennis has also proven to be a great way for the Jensen family to connect, as not only do mom and dad play, but so do their three children. Jensen confides, “I’ll play this sport for a long time to come. I enjoy my teammates, and my kids and I are still trying to beat my wife.”