Empower Padel's Women Leaders in Sport event for International Women’s Day doubled its attendance to over 160 guests at the Hurlingham Club in west London. The gathering featured a panel discussion on female leadership in sports, hosted by broadcaster Di Stewart. Organizers aim to boost women's participation in padel through initiatives and upcoming tournaments.
The event, organized by Empower Padel founder Pepita Stonor in partnership with The Hurlingham Club Foundation and Evelyn Partners, brought together padel players and entrepreneurs. The panel included Sandi Procter, former LTA President; Caroline Buckland, Group Director of Growth Marketing at Red Bull Racing and Red Bull Technology; and Aimee Fuller, a two-time Olympian and broadcaster. All panelists first met Stonor on a padel court, highlighting the sport's social connections across the sporting world.
Hosted by Sky Sports broadcaster Di Stewart, the discussion covered the speakers' paths to leadership, ongoing barriers for women in sports, and the need for greater female involvement. Caroline Buckland emphasized participation's role in developing leaders, stating: “Whilst it’s great that we’re seeing lots of people playing padel on social media, that doesn’t always translate into governance or strategic conversations at board level. The more women that we can encourage to pick up a racket, will hopefully stay in the sport.” Buckland, ranked 37th in UK padel, won a tournament at PADEL HUB Crawley shortly after the event.
Stonor noted padel's early stage in the UK offers a chance for equity, though global stats from FIP show only 29% of professional players and 28% of juniors are women. While 40% of players worldwide are women, this is not yet matched in the UK. Proceeds support the Hurlingham Club Foundation’s Girls’ Racquets Programme, launched in 2024, which has aided over 200 girls from Lady Margaret School with padel and squash coaching, equipment, and mentorship. PE teacher Elle Bernhardt observed: “As the girls’ PE teacher, it has been incredibly rewarding to see the girls thrive in a new environment. The coaching at The Hurlingham Club has brought out resilience, teamwork and self-belief in students who might not traditionally view themselves as ‘sporty’. The impact has extended well beyond these sessions and into their wider PE engagement.”
This brunch kicks off a month of Empower Padel events for International Women’s Day, starting with a 48-player women’s tournament at Padium in collaboration with Babolat and Padium. Further events include a 40-player gathering at PADEL HUB Slough on March 13 supporting the Sweaty Betty Foundation, and a final tournament on March 29. Stonor said: “This year’s theme perfectly reflects what we are trying to achieve – not only increasing participation but creating pathways for women to lead, inspire and support others through sport. Many teenage girls drop out of sport because they struggle to find something accessible and social. Padel offers exactly that, and we are proud to help young girls discover a sport they can enjoy for life. We are incredibly grateful to our partners and supporters who make this initiative possible.”