“Hey I’ve got a new sport for you Trevor”, exclaimed my neuro physio, Marize.

“It involves carbon fibre, paddles and a gearbox”. Of course I jumped at the chance, knowing full well that Marize was aware of my passion for motor racing.

I soon learnt about the awesome, exhilarating sport of Pickleball that is played with a hi-tech carbon-fibre paddle, (and that Gearbox happens to be a brand of paddle). Pickleball is a hybrid game that is a mix of tennis, badminton, squash, and table tennis.

The game of Pickleball is wonderfully social, easy to learn, and suited to all age groups, and mixed ability. Played on a badminton sized court, there are some key elements designed to keep the game close and competitive, such as; ‘The Kitchen’ which is a ‘non-volley zone’ (a line set seven feet back from the net).

The ball is made of plastic (the size of an orange) with holes in it to slow it’s trajectory, but don’t be fooled by the pace, this is a fast action game.

“Since my first game in March 2023 I’ve become totally hooked, and can see why Pickleball is now the fastest growing sport in the world”

The national body, Pickleball Australia Association (pickleballaus.org) was launched in 2020. It is exciting to be involved in a sport that is in its infancy, experiencing such rapid growth, (the origins of the game go back to 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, USA).

My home club Manningham (Doncaster East), has grown to well over 200 active members within its first year. Thanks to Marize Newnham (an innovative neuro physio), we now have nine of us with Parkinson’s that have been introduced to the sport and play weekly. In fact we now total 14 members with Parkinson’s, that have experienced the therapeutic benefits of playing Pickleball, beyond the social engagement and fun.

When the opportunity came up to compete at this years inaugural Warrnambool Pickleball Open, four of us ‘Parky’ friends (Michael, Shane, Tony, and myself) decided to catch the train down and stay at one of Warrnambool’s beautiful mid century Artdeco homes, Kepler Rose.

We Parky’s take sheer delight in being able to mix it up and win against normal abled competitor’s. With a bit of mischief in his eyes, Michael hatched a plan for he and I to play together in the Men’s Doubles. Although we didn’t get through to the finals, we had three tightly contested games.

Normally club games are played to 11 however, for this competition we played to 15. In our second game Michael and I were down 5:10. After many long rallies, the score progressed to 6:12, then 9:14. Still down and staring at defeat, Michael and I stayed calm and fought back against Jay (Junortoun, Vic), and Daniel (Bendigo) to win at 16:14.

One of the social aspects of Pickleball is that you don’t need a partner. Most club’s use an App where you register for (typically) a two hour session and just rock up to play in a ‘round-robin’ game. I entered the Mixed-Doubles comp and ticked the box for ‘need a partner’. I got to meet my partner Lorraine on the night before our comp, and together we teamed up and had an awesome time.

I’d mentioned to one of the event organiser’s Mary Tuck, that four of us with Parkinson’s had registered for general events, but asked if we could have a specific mixed-ability Parkinson’s event to bring about awareness of Parkinson’s, (and showcase how you can get on with leading an active and meaningful life, no matter what). Mary was so wonderfully supportive of the idea and orchestrated a dedicated Mixed-Ability Parkinson’s event on the Sunday, with herself and David Watson pairing up with a Parky. It also meant that Roy from Ocean Grove (with Parkinson’s) could team up with his wife and join in.

Pickleball is more than a game. It is about community, friendships formed, and a wonderful way to keep active.

It was a testament to the addictive nature of Pickleball that we had competitor’s travel from as far afield as Queensland, South Australia, central Victoria, Melbourne, Traralgon, Drysdale, and Ocean Grove.

Special thanks goes to Mary Tuck, David Watson and their extended team and volunteers who put on a fantastic Pickleball Warrnambool Open