Jeanette Lee “Black Widow” World Champion Pool Player
At the age of thirteen, Jeanette was diagnosed with scoliosis and underwent scoliosis surgery. The procedure involved techniques to fuse the vertebrae along the curve of her spine. Metal rods and other instrumentation were attached to her spine in order to hold her vertebrae together while the bones in her spine eventually fused together. Such instrumentation was left in her body where they remain today. Her surgery at the time was thought to be a success, but Jeanette’s affliction with scoliosis was not yet at an end.
Her passion for pool began in adolescence during which time she suffered immensely from pain caused by the steel rods implanted in her back and her new found passion consequently aggravated her spinal condition.
She became a full-time member of the Women’s Professional Billiards Association (WPBA) only three years after picking up the sport at age 18. In her first year as a pro she climbed the ranks of the top ten in the WPBA. Less than two years later, at the age of 23, Lee was ranked the number one woman’s professional pool player in the world.
Throughout this time she suffered from chronic pain, which stemmed from her scoliosis. By August 2005, Jeanette had undergone a total of nine surgeries to the back, neck, and shoulder. In spite of her medical challenges, Lee continues to achieve in the game of pool and other ventures outside of the pro billiards tour. She served as the National Spokesperson for The Scoliosis Association, Inc for a decade.
