Village Managers star in Keyton’s Road to Pickleball YouTube series

The leading retirement village operator’s take on Netflix’s Drive to Survive and features Julie Bathgate and Melissa Johnstone.

Super competitive Julie is featured revving up her pickleball team from her Waterford Valley Lakes retirement village in Rowville, 27km southeast of Melbourne’s CBD.

Whereas Melissa is Village Manager of The Links at Waterford, also in Rowville, a boutique village with just 87 units, is the rival team.

“The amenities we have is a gym – that’s it,” she says laughing.

The seven-part series features Waterford Valley Lakes’ residents Ian, Bruce and the two Jans against The Links’ residents Lyn, Liz, Jill and Suzanne for the prize of a jar of pickles.

The series was born from Keyton’s partnership with Pickleball Australia to help expand the reach of Australia’s fastest growing sport, pickleball, and bring the fun, social connection and physical and mental health benefits of the sport into Keyton’s villages.

“Pickleball is a perfect sport for independent seniors and a perfect match for Keyton. It is easy to play, whatever your age or ability, it is good for our health and above all it’s fun – and I think we have captured this brilliantly in our Road to Pickleball,” said Keyton Chief Executive Officer Nathan Cockerill.

The series is available now on Keyton’s YouTube channel.