Press & Media
Rob Nunnery is a professional pickleball player with 19 titles, Crohn's disease, and a permanent ostomy, with a public platform covering chronic illness, invisible illness, ostomy life, recovery, and rebuilding after medical disruption.
As Seen In
Featured Coverage
Long-form features and standout coverage on Rob Nunnery’s professional career, Crohn’s disease, surgeries, recovery, and life after major medical disruption.
HEALTHCENTRAL
May 2025
A Pro Pickleball Player Wins Big Against Crohn’s Disease
Medically reviewed feature on Crohn’s disease, colostomy surgery, and returning to professional pickleball.
YOU / News24
March 2026
I Had My Rectum and Anus Removed to Stop the Agony of Crohn’s Disease
Feature on years of chronic pain, Crohn’s disease, major surgery, and life after proctectomy.
YOU / News24
May 2026
Finding Love After Pain
Feature on Rob and Danélle’s relationship, how they met through YOU magazine, and the experiences that shaped both of their lives.
Pickleball52
August 2025
“It’s Good to Be Back” – Rob Nunnery’s Incredible Journey
Long-form feature on Rob’s Crohn’s disease, colostomy surgery, professional pickleball career, and return to competition.
YOU / News24
August 2026
From Magazine to Marriage: US Man Without Anus Weds His SA Ladylove
Feature on Rob and Danélle’s marriage, Rob’s move to South Africa, and the life they’ve built after years shaped by serious illness.
APP Tour
May 2024
The Invisible War
Long-form feature on Rob’s experience competing professionally while managing Crohn’s disease, chronic pain, surgeries, and the parts of illness people couldn’t see.
Approved Bios
Copy & Paste Ready
Short Bio (50 words)
Rob Nunnery is a professional pickleball player with 19 titles, a Crohn's patient, permanent ostomate, founder of Flexara Health, and writer of The Short List.
He writes and makes videos about chronic illness, invisible illness, ostomy life, recovery, and rebuilding a life after your body changes the terms.
Long Bio (150 words)
Rob Nunnery is a professional pickleball player with 19 titles, a Crohn's patient, permanent ostomate, founder of Flexara Health, and writer of The Short List.
After years of perianal Crohn's disease, chronic pain, surgeries, and a permanent colostomy, Rob underwent a complete proctectomy in January 2026.
He documented the recovery publicly, bringing a large audience into honest conversations about ostomy life, chronic illness, invisible illness, body image, identity, pain, and rebuilding after medical disruption.
Rob is now rooted in South Africa, where he writes The Short List and builds Flexara Health from lived experience.
His work sits at the intersection of elite sport, chronic and invisible illness, recovery, adaptive performance, and product development built for bodies the existing options ignore.
Why The Story Travels...
The reach, the story, and the stats that define where Rob's platform stands today.
30M+
Medical Recovery, Publicly Documented
Views in the first 30 days of documenting my proctectomy recovery, ostomy life, chronic illness, body image, pain, and what it takes to look fine while life is anything but normal.
150,000+
A Community Built Around the Real Stuff
People across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and Substack following honest conversations about Crohn’s disease, ostomy life, recovery, stress, performance, and the cost of trying to do too much.
19 Professional Pickleball Titles
A pro athlete career that gives the story a different lens: competing with chronic illness, training with a permanent ostomy, and learning when pushing harder starts costing more than it gives.
All Media & Press Archive
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HealthCentral — A Pro Pickleball Player Wins Big Against Crohn’s Disease — May 2025 — Article
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United Ostomy Associations of America — From Pain to Purpose: How a Professional Pickleball Player Reclaimed His Life After Colostomy Surgery — May 2025 — Article
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Pickleball52 — “It’s Good to Be Back” – Rob Nunnery’s Incredible Journey — August 2025 — Article
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HealthCentral — 7 Pro Athletes With IBD — November 2025 — Article
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HealthCentral — Getting an Ostomy? These Products Will Save Your Sanity — November 2025 — Article
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HealthCentral — 10 Things You Need in Your IBD Flare Kit — 2025 — Article
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YOU / News24 — “I Had My Rectum and Anus Removed to Stop the Agony of Crohn’s Disease” — February/March 2026 — Article
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YOU / News24 — US Man Without Anus Finds Love With SA Cancer Survivor — May 2026 — Article
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DUPR — Beyond the Game: Rob Nunnery’s Pickleball Journey — June 2026 — DUPR feature
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Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation — Spill Your Guts 2026 PSA Campaign — 2026 — Campaign
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PR Newswire — Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Launches 2026 “Spill Your Guts” PSA — 2026 — Announcement
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YOU / News24 — From Magazine to Marriage: US Man Without Anus Weds His SA Ladylove — August 2026 — Article
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APP Tour — The Invisible War — May 2024 — Feature
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The Boston Globe — Inside the Three Pro Pickleball Leagues Battling It Out for Supremacy — August 2022 — Article
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The New Yorker — Can Pickleball Save America? — July 2022 — Article
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The Boston Globe — Fenway Park Pickleball Competition to Draw Nation’s Top Players — July 2023 — Article
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The Boston Globe — Pickleball Betting Is Now Legal in Massachusetts, but Some See Potential for Trouble — August 2023 — Article
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CBS Sports — Major League Pickleball Releases New Rosters for 2023 — December 2022 — Article
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Naples Daily News / Yahoo Sports — US Open Pickleball Championships: Top Players to Watch in Naples — April 2023 — Article
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Naples Daily News / Yahoo Sports — US Open Pickleball Championships 2023: What to Know — April 2023 — Article
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InsideHook — Meet the Face of America’s Fastest Growing Sport: Pickleball — December 2021 — Article
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The Dink / PicklePod — Why Rob Nunnery Signed the 3-Year Deal — February 2022 — Interview
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The Dink / PicklePod — Tyson Is BACK | Rob Nunnery Shares a “Unique Story” — May 2022 — Interview
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The Dink / PicklePod — JW Johnson and Parris Todd Are Screwing Up Predictions — June 2022 — Interview
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Selkirk Sport — Decorated Professional Pickleball Athlete Rob Nunnery Enters Sponsorship Deal With Selkirk Sport — January 2023 — Article
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Selkirk Sport — Rob Nunnery Returns to Professional Competition — May 2025 — Article
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Forbes — Major League Pickleball Challenger Division Season 2 Draft: Instant Reaction — July 2023 — Article
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Forbes — Doubles Dominance From Association of Pickleball Professionals Top Pros Jardim and Todd in Cincinnati — May 2023 — Article
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Forbes — Harris Impresses and Daescu Dominates at the APP New Jersey Open — September 2023 — Article
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Forbes — English Pickleball Open Has International Player Growth on Display — August 2025 — Article
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Forbes — Association of Pickleball Professionals Fires Next Salvo in Battle for International Expansion — June 2025 — Article
Media & Press Inquiries
For interview requests, podcast bookings, speaking engagements, and brand partnerships, use the form.
All media inquiries receive a response within one business day. You can also email directly: partners@robnunnery.com