Ignite Padel Speke has officially established the largest Women’s Americano padel tournament in the UK, driven by the vision of lead female coach Paige Williams.

In just two years of playing the sport and one year as a coach, Paige has spearheaded a massive shift in female participation across Merseyside. After noticing that local padel courts were predominantly booked by male players, she set out to change the dynamic—building a supportive, vibrant women’s padel community from the ground up.

Today, Ignite Padel’s dedicated women’s WhatsApp network boasts over 500 active members. In December 2025, Ignite Padel Speke hosted a record-breaking 40-player Women’s Americano* tournament—the largest event of its kind in the UK. The club now hosts four dedicated women’s Americanos every month catering to all ability levels, drawing players from across the North West (including Wigan) and international visitors travelling from as far as Dubai.

What makes Paige’s achievement all the more remarkable is her background: she serves full-time as a Fire Station Chief with Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, having joined in 2020 and serving on the Urban Search and Rescue team at the Aintree station. Prior to this Paige was a professional female footballer. Liverpool-born Williams enjoyed phenomenal success from starting her career at Everton F.C. to winning Serie A and the Coppa Italia titles with Brescia Calcio Femminile in 2015-16.

Despite her high-pressure career, Paige devotes her off-duty time to coaching and expanding female participation in racket sports.

Paige Williams, Female Lead & Coach at Ignite Padel, said:

“When I first started playing, it was clear how heavily male-dominated the courts were. I wanted to create an encouraging, non-intimidating environment where women of all ages and fitness levels could pick up a racket, build confidence, and feel part of a community. Seeing hundreds of women now playing regularly, forming lifelong friendships is incredibly rewarding.”

Stephen Broad Partner in Ignite Padel said:
“Paige has done an incredible job building something that goes far beyond padel. She’s created a genuine community where hundreds of women now feel comfortable coming into the sport, many for the first time.
As a business, this is exactly what we want Ignite to be about. We’re ambitious about growing Ignite across the UK, but growth isn’t just about opening more courts — it’s about creating communities around them and making padel accessible to everyone. What Paige has achieved at Speke is a brilliant example of that.”