For nearly two decades, Sheba Family Zaman-Zadeh has faced the challenges of living with lupus, yet she has transformed her adversity into triumph. Now a vibrant member of USTA Southern California’s adult tennis community, she has become an inspiration to many, demonstrating that one’s diagnosis does not define their potential. As she embraces her passion for tennis, Sheba has not only reclaimed her life, but is also paving the way for others to find joy and strength in their own journeys.

Born and raised in Montreal, Canada, Sheba is the daughter of Iranian immigrants, each of whom built a career in the medical field as a psychiatrist and clinical psychologist. While her family wasn’t particularly athletic, Sheba’s mother encouraged her to engage in a variety of sports and activities from a young age. Although Sheba developed an interest in tennis as a child, she didn’t begin playing until later in life due to both her and her mother’s demanding schedules.

“I spent a lot of my childhood reading, playing piano, and hanging out with friends and family,” Sheba stated. “I did everything from kayaking, canoeing, sailing, windsurfing, synchronized swimming to skiing and snowboarding. My elementary school was in a convent – with no gymnasium – so our school took us skiing every Friday in the winter. In high school, I was on the basketball team and swim team.”

As Sheba grew older, her life would remain primarily constant up until 2006, when she would be diagnosed with lupus that June. While some of the signs were there for Sheba, such as already having nephritis and possibly seeing the start of encephalitis, it was difficult for her to accept this diagnosis and what it would bring for her in the coming years. 

“I had likely gone undiagnosed for 10-12 years prior to the news,” Sheba mentioned. “2006 was the start of a new life where, after a summer of mourning my infallibility, I completely changed my lifestyle. I prioritized a radically healthy diet, regularly exercise, lots of sleep, stress management and leaned into my amazing support system.”

Re-taking control of her life over the recent years, Sheba has gone above and beyond what has been expected of her, as her changed habits have immensely assisted in her quality of life. Prioritizing exercise and remaining active, Sheba has been able to maintain a grasp on her symptoms, as well as strengthen her body and boost her energy levels. As she worked her way back up to feeling comfortable with more intensive activities, Sheba finally decided to test her hand at tennis in 2018, at the age of 37. Inspired by reading Andre Agassi’s book, “Open,” she saw tennis as a valuable way to combat lupus, manage her health and build new relationships. With its numerous benefits, both for longevity and social engagement, this was the perfect moment for Sheba to embrace the sport she had always dreamed of playing.

Residing in Santa Monica, Sheba took part in a beginner tennis class with her now adult league coach, Jonathan Bailin. Becoming immediately hooked, she sought out ways to become more involved in the sport within her local areas. After playing recreationally for a brief period, Sheba was put in touch with Los Angeles Area League Coordinator, Michelle Kramer, who guided her through the entire adult league process and all of the offerings that were available. With Michelle’s assistance, Sheba joined her first team in 2021, and ever since then has not put down her racquet. 

Through adult leagues, Sheba has discovered not only the joy and competitiveness of the sport, but also a vital outlet that helps combat her lupus and fosters a sense of community. As a member of the Los Angeles JBees 3.0 team, she has formed lasting friendships while working toward a collective goal of a Sectionals and Nationals championship. While playing, Sheba has continued to discover how tennis has earned its rightfully acclaimed title as the world’s healthiest sport. 

“I love my team and teammates! I feel that the matches force me to push myself and play my best, and that push motivates me to continually improve my game and my fitness in general,” Sheba added. “It took several years for me to work up to more intense workouts such as tennis, but today, tennis is an integral part of my health, both for the exercise itself as well as the community that league play brings. On the days I feel tired, I still show up to practice knowing I will have so much fun with my teammates and go home feeling both happier and stronger. It’s an advantage that running on a treadmill at a gym could never bring me. The psychological component of team leagues has helped me battle through rough lupus patches where I otherwise may have resorted to inactivity. Obviously overdoing it can also trigger a flare, but the beauty of the league is that I don’t have to play every match or join every practice, there’s lots of flexibility there!” 

Finding even more reasons to love both tennis and her local community, Sheba is immensely grateful to the Kramer family, who have been integral to her journey in managing lupus as well as her progress on the court. 

“I’d like to give a shout out to the late Dr. Lou Kramer, a man I have never met. Dr. Lou Kramer was a rheumatologist and my doctor, Dan Wallace’s, mentor,” Sheba explained. “They met when Dr. Wallace was a resident and, I am told, Dr. Kramer was not only one of the kindest people, but also taught my own doctor a lot. Lou Kramer is also Michelle Kramer’s father. Michelle is one of the biggest facilitators for my team and my teammates. She is truly dedicated to the work she does to help our teams and USTA and it’s thanks to her that I’m playing in the USTA leagues. Lou Kramer has inadvertently affected my life by being a mentor to my amazing doctor as well as having a child that has facilitated one of the joys in my life; USTA tennis league play! What a small world!”

Now balancing her full-time role as a Computer Systems Analyst while managing lupus and staying active in tennis, Sheba has also dedicated time to make a meaningful impact in her community through Lupus LA. This nonprofit health organization supports lupus patients in accessing essential resources while working towards understanding the disease and finding a cure. Introduced to Lupus LA by her doctor at the time, Sheba first became involved with the organization just a year after her diagnosis, attending their fundraising events and patient conferences. After realizing how much lupus patients can truly improve the quality of their lives through lifestyle changes and support, Sheba knew that she wanted to help make a difference within Lupus LA and the underserved lupus community.

“Lupus LA provides support groups, emergency grants, fellowships for rheumatologists, educational webinars and conferences, patient advocacy and plays a large role in supporting research,” mentioned Sheba. “I  joined their board of directors in January of 2023 and have been doing my best to contribute with awareness and fundraising for the organization. Lupus LA is an important community for me. It makes me feel seen in my struggles and supported by others dealing with the same issues. Since lupus is mostly an invisible disease, we “lupies” often feel misunderstood and unseen by others. Lupus LA gives me hope that underserved patients have access to support and as well as hope for a future treatment and cure.” 

In her life, Sheba is committed to inspiring others living with lupus, demonstrating that they are not defined by their illness and that there is so much they can achieve. She believes it’s never too late to change a habit or explore a new hobby, and she wants to share that message with those who may feel limited by their condition.

“When I was first diagnosed, I didn’t really know many lupus patients that were seemingly healthy and very active,” Sheba discussed. “So, I hope to convey a message of hope for those who may need it.When I was first diagnosed, I thought my life was over. In all reality, the diagnosis forced me to mindfully rebuild a life that was to my benefit. A life where health was centered, I had to surround myself with healthy people, healthy activities, healthy foods and even healthy thoughts. While everyone with Lupus has their own unique journey, mostly due to the systemic nature of the disease, I truly believe that everyone’s quality of life can be improved with a positive mindset, discipline, support and consistency. It may be slow progress, but the payoff in terms of health is worth it. I wholeheartedly believe it’s particularly important to not make lupus part of your identity. I am not my lupus; lupus is not me. It is a struggle one deals with, and everyone has their struggles. I went from barely being able to walk in June of 2006 to being able to play hours of tennis every day. I have days where I must rest or need treatment, but overall, I progressed over the years and I believe I’m more active than most of the healthy people I know.”

At the age of forty-three, Sheba remains dedicated to navigating her daily activities and challenges while keeping her eyes firmly set on the future. Within tennis, she aims to continue improving upon her skills, and advance her rating to become a 3.5 player or higher. She plans to resume with more intense activities and looks to add more functional weight training and mobility exercise for injury prevention and longevity reasons. All of these goals revolve around Sheba feeling strong, energetic and healthy in her body, something she has learned not to take for granted. As for her career, she understands that there are a lot of opportunities for growth, and looks to continue to learn from and teach others within her industry. Elected president of the Parental Drug Association a few years ago, Sheba is now dedicating even more time to the organization as a volunteer after completing her two-year term, continuing her commitment to give back to the community. Personally, she is thankful for an amazing support system of friends and loved ones that bring her joy every day. 

Most recently, Sheba continued to defy the odds by achieving a goal in tennis that she once thought was impossible this early in her playing career, competing at Nationals with the JBees. This marked her first time attending Nationals, following the team’s successful qualification at the first weekend of 18 & Over 3.0 Sectionals this summer. Having the opportunity to test her skills against some of the top players in the country, Sheba fought hard to try and help bring a title back to Southern California, as the JBees competed at the Barnes Tennis Center from October 18th to 20th. Touching on the JBees season, Sheba reflected on the team’s successes and what she looked forward to most prior to her attending Nationals.

“I felt incredibly proud of my team when we won Sectionals and it was wonderful to see the team’s hard work all-season pay off,” Sheba said. “I am beyond excited for the opportunity to play at Nationals. Although I like to play to win, I am looking forward to just playing my best and enjoying the whole weekend with my teammates! I am also excited to see all the other teams from all over the nation, and super grateful to have this experience.” 

For those interested in Lupus LA and helping further Sheba’s efforts in combating the disease, the organization is hosting a charity bowling fundraiser in just a short matter of weeks. Lupus LA invites all to attend their event that will be held on Sunday, November 3rd, at Pinstripes in Woodland Hills. 

“The upcoming fundraiser should be a blast,” Sheba stated. “If unable to attend and feel inclined to donate, I would be really touched and I know the organization benefits from every donation received!