Karen and Lucie’s love story on and off the court
When Karen Hazzard first picked up a padel racket, she had no idea it would eventually lead her to her partner Lucie Wade and the creation of a whole new community movement. Karen is the powerhouse behind padel at Hove Beach Park. She’s Game4Padel’s director of padel, and will be heading up the new courts at Withdean Sports Complex when they launch this autumn.
A former tennis pro turned padel coach, Karen has repped Great Britain on the international stage and now channels that energy into growing the sport here in Brighton.
Lucie, meanwhile, rediscovered sport later in life. After a 20-year break, she had a lightbulb moment on a padel court in Spain. “I fell in love with it completely. I try to play every chance I get.”
The pair met in September 2022 at a coaching session in Withdean and have been together since the spring of 2023. Their shared passion for padel and creating space for underrepresented groups sparked the idea for Padel Peeps, a business with a mission to make the sport truly inclusive.
“It’s not about labels,” says Karen. “It’s about people. Come as you are, play as you are. That’s what Padel Peeps is.” Their work is already having an impact. From LGBTQIA+ friendly socials to events for neurodivergent players and those with disabilities, they’re opening up the game one rally at a time.
Lucie, whose daughter is autistic, explains: “We’ve seen first-hand how accessible padel can be and the joy it brings.”
They’ve sold out every event so far and are now applying for CIC status to help secure funding and reach more communities.
Next up? A Brighton Pride tournament on 3 August, plus their own Pride-inspired clothing range. “We want people to feel safe, seen, and welcome,” they say. “If that means we’re creating the spaces we wish we had, then great.”
The girls are currently number three in the UK over 40s and compete most weekends when not running events.
Want to join the fun? Head to padelpeeps.co.uk and get on court.
