Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in Australia with participation rates growing by 42% in the last year alone, according to the sport’s own association.
The game is inclusive for all ages, and half of its participants are aged over 56-years
At 6.30am most mornings a group of Gulmarrad seniors are already up and active, laughing and lobbing balls across the pickleball court at Lincoln Lifestyle Northern Rivers.
Lorraine Napper, Janette McGregor, Margaret Sims and Susan Usher’s morning matches serve as a key component of community life at the Over 50s lifestyle estate by Lincoln Place.
Lorraine, 72, said she picked up the paddle just a few months after downsizing to the community last year and discovered it was a fun new way to stay active and socialise with her new neighbours.
“I’ve played a lot of sport in my life and was always a swimmer, but I never played anything like tennis – let alone pickleball – until I moved in here,” Lorraine said.
“Staying active is really important to me. As we get older, doctors say we’ve got to keep moving and do some form of exercise at least four times a week. Pickleball is a great way to move your body and is good for the brain as well.”
Pickleball’s simple rules, make the sport easy to pick up and creates opportunities to socialise while staying active.
Janette, 67, said she embraced the early morning fun after settling into her new home.
“It’s not hard and it’s fun,” Janette said. “The court is small but you have to do a bit of running around which is good cardio, and we get to have a hit, giggle and meet new people.
“I’m really enjoying getting out there with the girls, making new friends and building that camaraderie.”
Lorraine said interest in their small group is growing amongst the community.
“We like to say we’re training for the 2032 Olympics, but really, we’re just keeping active, having fun, and enjoying life with our neighbours, and that’s what this community is really about,” she said.
“We’ve got four girls who play regularly at the moment, and there’s a few guys in the community who want to join us but they say it’s too early for them to get out of bed.
“We’re always asking people if they want to have a game and we hope to see more of our neighbours joining in as the community grows.”
Lorraine said she was excited to see the amenities expand at Lincoln Lifestyle Northern Rivers, with the $9.2 million Clubhouse and Wellness Centre precinct under construction.
“We’re going to have even more amenities here hopefully later in the year,” she said.
“There’s already a bowls green and some outdoor spaces, but come summer there will be a covered outdoor swimming pool, gym, and lots of other spaces for physical and social activities we can do within the community gates.”
Additional amenities at the new facility will include a resident lounge, theatre, games room, dining, entertainment, communal kitchen, BBQ area, community garden, craft studio, workshop, dog park and walking track.
Both Lorraine and Janette are long-term residents of Gulmarrad who downsized into the Over 50s lifestyle community with their respective partners when maintenance of their family homes became too much.
Lincoln Lifestyle Northern Rivers operates under the land lease model, giving residents full ownership of their homes and any capital gains while leasing the land. There are no stamp duty costs, body corporate or exit fees, or council rates. A weekly site fee covers maintenance of the community and full access to lifestyle amenities.
New homes are available for immediate occupancy and are priced from $635,000.