Pickleball champ, Gail Aiken, is bringing Pickleball – Australia’s fastest growing sport – to Yarrabilba.
Founder of XCEL Pickleball, Gail Aiken, will hold her first ‘Come ‘n’ Try’ Pickleball event on Saturday, 21st of February at Yarrabilba State Secondary College – teaching locals how to play the game and have fun.
Ms Aiken said pickleball is easy to learn.
“Perhaps the most repeated term you will hear about this sport is how easy it is to
learn,” she said.
“To an extent, that is true because the many skills you acquire from participating in other sports are a good foundation; certainly that is true if you come from any of the racquet sports.”
“However, if you were one of the many who may not have participated as a youngster in a fundamentals program, this is a great sport for acquiring those fundamentals and enhancing every aspect of your physical wellbeing – no matter your age or ability.”
Ms Aiken said the sport has taken off like wildfire, and “perhaps the social connection aspect” is the reason why.
“Can you imagine, seeing ages 70+ with teenagers, side by side, playing this game,
socially and competitively?”
“Pickleball demonstrates how skill can out-trump age.”
“It is more and more common to see all skill levels, combined with the best of the best in the country, playing at all events, not just State or National Championships.”
Before she found pickleball Ms Aiken was a professional tennis coach for 25 years, until a significant injury to her arm in 2016 brought a life-changing shift.
“I had not picked up a racquet since then, but fast forward to 2019, and living on the Sunshine Coast, I saw an advert for World Pickleball Day,” she said.
“I had never heard of the sport before. I went along just to see what it was all about, only to find people had come from locations well beyond the Sunshine Coast to attend. The stadium was packed.”
“I was handed a paddle and therein began my love affair with the sport.”
At 70, Ms Aiken now holds multiple State and National titles.
“It is my joy to still be competing at this time in my life, and I finished 2025 on a high by claiming the national age championship in both singles and mixed doubles; almost a triple crown with silver in the women’s doubles,” she said.
For those who might not have heard of it, Ms Aiken says pickleball is a cross between tennis, squash, badminton, and table tennis.
“The game emerged in 1965 with a family in the USA creating the game to keep their kids occupied in the backyard, and it is understood that the name came about because their dog, Pickle, could not resist the chase, as one might expect,” she said.
It involves a smaller court, “a small paddle and wiffle ball with holes,” and “an interesting set of rules.”
“It was also created with lots of fun in mind, so come on down and try it.”
XCEL Pickleball’s event will be held at Yarrabilba State Secondary College, Yarrabilba, on Saturday, 21st February from 2-6pm. For more information, visit xcelpickleball.com.au
Image: XCEL Pickball, Facebook.
