Meet the team fighting for Thomas Wilson's health

Dallas-based Picklebreakers aim to set a world record

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Team KOTC
November 18, 2025

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Pickle Breakers attempt 40-hour marathon game in world record attempt

This Thanksgiving weekend, forget the football games — there’s a much more exciting game on deck, with a much worthier cause.

Pickle Breakers, a nonprofit created to support mental health and other causes, put together a team to play a marathon pickleball game in an attempt to set a new world record: a 40-hour rally, benefitting PPA Pro Thomas Wilson.

Thomas Wilson has been battling health issues for more than a year, and has shared his journey along the way, as he’s fought for a proper diagnosis and treatment plan. This journey brought him most recently to Dallas, where he is undergoing stem cell treatments that cost upwards of $22,000 per session. The world-record attempt next week will raise funds during the event that will go to Thomas’s medical care as well as broader stem cell research awareness.

“Thomas represents everything this sport is about — grit, heart, and community,” said CK Kim, founder of Pickle Breakers. “We’ve broken records before, but this time we’re breaking them for something much bigger than ourselves.”

Consisting of Chong “CK” Kim, Geneva Olson, Cristobal Castillo, and Abla Mannarino, the Pickle Breakers team will drop the first serve at 6 a.m., Saturday, November 29 at Pickler Universe in Carrollton, Texas. The event will be live-streamed nationally. During the broadcast, a special donation link & QR code will be shared for viewers to directly donate to the cause.

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Want to help?

Anyone and everyone can be part of this mission to support Thomas’s health journey. Just follow Pickle Breakers for the live stream link, and donate during the event!

“Every rally we play is one rally closer to helping Thomas heal,” said Geneva Olson. “He’s given so much to this sport — now it’s our turn to give back.”

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