People

Paddy Hunter-Murphy (66)

Reigate, Surrey, UK

“In November 2023 I went to play pickleball for the first time. I had had some niggly tennis injuries on my knee, calf and Achilles heel and was cheesed off that I could not play tennis properly. Talking to my tennis buddy Sir John, he mentioned that he’d just started playing this weird, funny sport that was a bit like tennis and would I like to come along and check it out one day.

I have been playing tennis for over 50 years, so the court seemed quite familiar (but smaller!) and I felt instantly at home. It was a revelation to be able to play a highly competitive game without the strain that I was used to. Although I am a pretty good tennis player, the ‘youngsters’ were just blowing me off the tennis court with their power! I soon found that in pickleball older players were pretty much equal to the younger players. I am about a 6 on the ‘Pickleball Spectrum’ (see Home Page).

After playing twice, I thought it would be a good idea to share my love for this strange new sport with my tennis buddies and wider friends – so started the Senior Pickleball Tips Facebook group. I posted a few videos from YouTube, enthused about the game and shared my thoughts about all things pickleball and within six months it grew to 65,000 members from 44 countries!!!

I even persuaded my brother Terry (who lives near Noosa in Queensland, Australia) to start playing and he has found ‘his people’ who already feel like life-long friends. Terry is a great guy and, together with three fantastic US-based moderators, supports me with the Facebook group.

There is obviously a massive audience out there – older people (we define it as 50+) who play pickleball and ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! The group shares EVERYTHING about the sport.

So, then Terry and I decided to expand this community and start this website that will (eventually) be the ‘go to’ place for all things Senior Pickleball.

So, you are welcome – and we’d really like you to join us here.

So, remember – ‘Paddle up, stay safe and have fun!’

Terry Murphy (68)

Noosa, Queensland, Australia

“When my brother Paddy told me about this very odd-looking, strange game called pickleball, I actually thought it was one if his jokes! It was only after watching a few videos about it, did I realise that it was a real thing!

But since then, I started playing some gentle pickleball. I used to be very sporty when I was a lot younger but now I’m a bit overweight and nervous – but pickleball has allowed me to slowly get into something that suits me completely. It’s early days, but I am loving the ease of getting used to a new activity and I have made some amazing new friends!”