Lauren never imagined her route into sport would begin with burnout. 

For years she immersed herself in corporate law, thriving in an environment that rewarded long hours and relentless ambition. From the outside, her career was progressing exactly as planned. Internally, something felt increasingly disconnected. 

‘I trained as a lawyer and built a successful career advising major tech companies, but the relentless 18-hour days eventually led to burnout. I realised the only part of my life I was truly enjoying was sport and movement.’ 

Stepping away from that world gave her the space to notice what had been missing. During a sabbatical in Indonesia, she discovered padel, and with it, a different way of experiencing sport – one built around community, openness and connection. 

‘I took a sabbatical in Indonesia, where I discovered padel and immediately saw its potential as a genuinely inclusive, community-led sport. When I returned to London, I couldn’t find a club that reflected the diversity and welcome I had experienced abroad. So I decided to build one.’ 

What began as a personal search for belonging quickly became something much bigger. Changing careers became the consequence of recognising a gap that many others had simply learned to live with. 

‘Things like whether the nearest station is well-lit, whether you have to walk through a remote area alone after dark, what is the messaging on social media, does the venue feel welcoming and safe? These are real barriers that have kept women away from sport for years, and the industry has largely ignored them.’ 

For Lauren, those details matter because they’re often what determines whether someone feels comfortable returning. She believes more women in leadership will continue to shape sporting environments that feel welcoming from the moment people arrive. 

Women’s sport feels different today than it did even a few years ago. Attendance is growing, audiences are expanding and commercial investment is finally beginning to follow. 

Lauren believes women’s sport has reached a defining moment. The recent growth is beginning to reshape the culture around sport itself, changing who is seen, who is supported and who feels they belong. 

‘The momentum is unlike anything I’ve seen before. Attendance records are being broken, broadcast deals are growing, and perhaps most importantly – young girls now have visible role models across almost every sport.’ 

She believes padel represents a particularly exciting part of that story because of the way community sits alongside competition. 

‘What excites me most personally is the intersection of women’s sport and community. Padel is a brilliant example: participation among women is growing rapidly, and the social, community-led nature of the sport makes it particularly appealing to women who may have felt excluded by more ego-driven, competitive sporting environments.’ 

To Lauren, the recent growth in women’s sport feels less like a moment of momentum and more like the beginning of lasting cultural change. 

‘We are at a genuine inflection point, and I believe the next decade will be transformative.’ 

As opportunities for female athletes continue to grow, Lauren believes another conversation has become impossible to ignore. 

Social media has transformed the relationship between athletes and audiences, giving women greater ownership over their stories than ever before. But that visibility has also introduced new pressures that too often go unchallenged. 

‘Athletes owning their own narratives is the defining shift… But we have to be honest about the darker side of this, because it doesn’t get talked about enough.’ 

She points to the reality many female athletes face every time they build a public profile. 

‘Raising your head above the parapet as a female athlete too often invites abuse, trolling and sexualisation. That is not a minor inconvenience — it is a genuine barrier that stops women from putting themselves out there.’ 

For Lauren, protecting athletes isn’t separate from growing women’s sport. It’s fundamental to it.