Pickleball, it’s a really trendy thing to do in my neck of the woods at the moment. I hear though that in the States it is going absolutely gangbusters. I’ve just come from a Pickleball fundraiser over the weekend to raise money for spinal cord injury research. What an interesting sport.

‘The Jar’ is the courts that I went to. It’s been open just a couple of months and doing amazingly well. You can grab an Aperol Spritz at the bar and then chill out on deck chairs. Aaah, Aperol Spritz, it always reminds me of my time in Italy last year. 

The flyer tells me that it’s low impact and easy to learn. They regularly have people there between 8 to 80+. It’s got rubberised flooring so I may be back to give it a go…can you do it on an itty bitty mobility scooter I wonder? There was a guy in a wheelchair giving it a go.

Yes I have read online that people in wheelchairs play Pickleball, but let me just deconstruct it for my mobility scooter.

The scooter is switched on. It’s in forward mode. The switch to go backwards is just where your right thumb, just above the accelerator. I’ve got my thumb sitting there waiting. In my other hand I have a Pickleball bat.

Image the ball is coming toward you. You have your scooter set at the full speed of 6.5km an hour (brisk walk). Yes you are ready but…if you turn the direction of your scooter too much the safety mechanism will kick in and slow things down as you corner. Make sure it doesn’t tip!

Woosh!

Question: Did I hit the ball or hit the deck? Guess I’ll have to go back and give it a go. Think I may need to wear a helmet!

Dezzie 2025