When Victor Aguirre Minaro fled Austria for England at the start of the pandemic, padel was the last thing on his mind.
Victor and his girlfriend had Ines had just returned from travelling to India and Nepal. Victor, a violinist, was just about to begin a tour with Cirque du Soleil. His partner Ines was a ski instructor. With Covid pretty much terminating both their occupations, they sold everything in their flat in Linz and moved to London.
Originally from Malaga, England was 32-year-old Victor’s fourth country of residence so he was used to moving around. But doing so during a pandemic was different as meeting people was suddenly much more difficult. The one thing he did have, though, was time.
As Covid-19 restrictions eased, he went to Stratford Padel Club to practise and play. He fell in love with the sport, but noticed his fellow players constantly distracted by their phones and laptops.
“I saw so many people on screens working with big figures.” he says. “They play and have to go – it’s the capital city way of life. People don’t have enough time to enjoy themselves.
“I love competition and tournaments but I don’t think it’s all about that. Call me naïve, but I just wanted to meet and connect with people.”
That realisation marked the beginning of Fast4Padel which, one and a half years later, Victor has developed into a community of over 100 padel players around London and the south-east. The emphasis is firmly on what you might call après-padel. Their motto is ‘Play, Rotate & Connect.’
“We now have a really strong base of friends who know each other and play all the time,” he says. “We share information, help each other in various ways and do many social events. We go to Oxford or Southend for tournaments, we are going to Menorca for a training camp and in October we’re going to my home city Malaga.”
Fast4Padel also operate corporate padel days, camps and trips – but padel followed by pizza and a few beers is its general modus operandi.
Victor’s girlfriend Ines is a perfect example of Fast4Padel’s impact on its members. “She used to be really scared of playing with other people,” explains Victor. “She didn’t want to let other people down.
“I began the social sessions and she started to play with others and gain confidence. Now she goes to the club and plays with whoever she wants. It’s a huge development, not just inside the sport but for her wellbeing and mental health.
“This kind of journey is what happens to so many players. I’m happy that we are a platform for this kind of improvement and to bring people together and be sociable.”
During Fast4Padel’s development, Victor had been Head of the Langley Hall Music Academy. Now, he has landed the prestigious job of Strings Programme Lead at a new school in central London, starting in June.
“It’s a huge role and I’m looking forward to developing myself,” he states. “Teaching music has so many parallels with sport. You have to teach technique, pitch, rhythm and timing and it also gives people skills for survival in life; resilience, discipline, courage and character.
“My life is going to change and I look forward to expanding in both music and sport fields.
“Both jobs are also my passions. I came to the UK two years ago with zero and now I have two jobs that I love.
“Fast4Padel will always be with me. I love to share it and become part of something bigger than myself and, in a small way, do something for society.”
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Victor’s back story is the latest in our series, Padel and Me, telling human stories with padel at their heart. Read more:
Alyson Wort: Padel was my lifeline during my sister’s battle with cancer
Abigail Tordoff: It’s been a really positive journey
