What began as a fun way to exercise has turned into the experience of a lifetime for one Gainesville athlete.Counte Cooley began playing racquetball more than 20 years ago to help him stay in shape. Today, he’s competing against the top players in the country.“This might be one of my bucket list deals,” Cooley said.Cooley is playing in the 45th National Singles Racquetball Championship in Fullerton, Calif.At the suggestion of his regular competitors, Cooley began to play in tournaments nearly four years ago. He recently won first place in his division in the Southeastern Regional Racquetball Championship in Atlanta.“Counte is the only one that I know of that does these competitions.