George Weller is working his way up the LTA padel rankings after somehow maintaining his resilience and determination through a series of personal and professional setbacks.
The 27-year-old, who was a nationally-ranked junior table tennis player, later had a promising football career cruelly cut short by a serious heart condition which also scuppered his ambitions in competitive tennis. Worst of all, he suffered the loss of his father just before the pandemic.
He is currently GB No.9 despite having to squeeze competitions in around his full-time job as tennis coach at Bull Lane Tennis Club in Gerrard’s Cross. He also coaches padel part-time at The Padel Hub in Slough, Berkshire and Foxhills Country Club in Chertsey, Surrey. It’s fair to say his journey into racket sports playing and coaching has been something of a rollercoaster.
“I don’t talk about this stuff with too many people, but I went through some pretty dark times mentally,” he tells The Padel Paper. “I always try to say to myself, ‘Get knocked down five times, get up six.'”
After reaching a national final aged 10 and achieving an England ranking of No.11 at under-11 in table tennis, George switched focus to football in his teens and undertook a scholarship at the renowned Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre. Whilst there he played alongside Matty Cash, now first choice right-back at Aston Villa.
Whilst training for the under-19 national finals, George started getting a “weird feeling” in his chest during a running drill. These episodes, where his heart rate suddenly soared to up to 230bpm, kept occurring (sometimes during matches) and became a huge cause for concern. He became captain of non-league side Burnham FC where he once had an episode in the 95th minute of an FA Cup tie and had to sit down on the touchline to rest. “I was getting a lot of abuse from the away fans,” he recalls.
These random heart rate spikes were eventually diagnosed as arrhythmia tachycardia and necessitated an operation – but two procedures were unsuccessful and he was ultimately forced to quit the game.
George says: “It started to affect me a lot mentally because I couldn’t play at the level I knew I was capable of. I could run all game, but then sometimes I would sprint five metres or jump to defend a free kick and my heart rate would leap up suddenly. The condition just came out of nowhere. I thought football was going to be my life. Having to give it up was a huge change for me.”
Through his time in football, George had played tennis, starting at 16 then becoming a self-taught coach at 19 in his hometown of Slough. Later, at Stoke Park in Buckinghamshire, he worked under Marc Codling who not only fostered George’s love of coaching but also introduced him to padel.
“I sometimes had to sit on the floor [of the tennis court] for a couple of points then re-join the game, but I suppose my love for sport always kept me going,” reflects George. “But my heart issues did put me in a really s**t place mentally for quite a few years.
“Reaching an U19 national football final and making the top 10 in the UK padel rankings for two straight years while I still had my heart problem are my proudest achievements,” says George. “Nothing compares to giving the speech at my dad’s funeral, but those achievements are right up there.”
Before his death in 2020, George’s father had lost both his parents and the business he’d run for over 30 years. George’s auntie had also passed away and a Burnham FC team-mate he was close to, Luca Skivington, died in a car accident. Throughout this horrendous time, George’s mum was his “rock” who gave him “nothing but love and support.” It was his mum who persuaded George to undergo a third heart operation. The first two had been complex and traumatic – but the third, in 2022, was thankfully successful.
It has allowed him to flourish in a new sporting passion – padel. “Finally I can concentrate on what I’m supposed to be doing on the court, without feeling like I’m dying every few points!” he says.
He now combines tennis and padel coaching with playing every padel competition he can squeeze in (supported by his sponsors, the Christophe Dessalles-owned racket brand Pallap). One of his most treasured moments to date was a victory alongside Javi Serrats against Nikhil Mohindra and Cameron Dollimore in an LTA Grade 2 competition at his home club, The Padel Hub, on what was his dad’s birthday. “I’m sure my dad was with me on the last set tie-break as four net cords dropped our way,” says George. “That win meant a lot to me.”
Although he missed out on the Great Britain squad by one place last year, he was invited this summer by GB men’s coach John Leach to join national squad training sessions. He was unable to take up the invitation due to a short-term injury, but “it was a big boost to be noticed,” he admits.
He adds: “At my dad’s funeral, I put my arms round my mum and my sister and thought to myself, ‘You need to step up now.’ I’m really proud of myself that I’ve done that in the last four years.
“I still have my bad days as I’m sure many people do. Most people know me as a happy, smiling person, but it’s important to know not everyone is constantly feeling that on the inside. It’s vital to be kind and check on your mates, especially the ones that are always happy!
“I’ve had so many setbacks that I deal with them a lot better now. I try to live a quarter-mile at a time. I’ve had a lot of crap in my life, so I try not to look any further ahead than that!”
Very inspiring story, thanks to George and the padel paper for sharing it!