Community Spotlight:
Sheena Varsani
- Published: 8 September, 2026
- UK
- Community
- 4-min read
Finding the game
"For the first time in a long while, I wasn’t thinking about my prosthetic; I was completely absorbed in the game, and surprised by just how much fun I was having."
Making sport feel possible
What I would love to see next is inclusion becoming the norm in the UK: More mainstream events integrating adaptive players; Greater visibility of disabled athletes in ambassador roles; Brands recognising the value adaptive athletes bring to the sport; More education for coaches and clubs on adaptations; and Disability concessions and improved physical accessibility.
A community without borders
Sheena points to the Inclusive Padel Tour as an organisation doing fantastic work. Its monthly tournaments pair a disabled player with a non-disabled partner, giving everyone the opportunity to compete, and with international events it has built a global community around inclusion.
Through the tour, Sheena has met people from all walks of life: players recovering from injuries, those navigating disability, people trying sport for the first time, and others simply looking for a new way to stay active. In her words, it feels like a community without borders.
Her favourite part of the journey has been rediscovering the pure joy of sport, being fully present, competing and connecting with a supportive community. The biggest challenge has been visiting clubs and seeing how inaccessible many still are, from a lack of disabled parking to the absence of disabled toilets. Sharing her story is a way to raise awareness and push for change, so adaptive players can feel welcome from day one.
What she would love to see next is inclusion becoming the norm in the UK: more mainstream events integrating adaptive players, greater visibility of disabled athletes in ambassador roles, brands recognising the value adaptive athletes bring to the sport, more education for coaches and clubs on adaptations, and disability concessions alongside improved physical accessibility. Inclusion, she says, shouldn’t feel exceptional. It should feel standard.
She values progress over comparison and community over ego. If sharing her padel journey helps even one person get onto a court for the first time, it is worth it.
Looking ahead
This year, Sheena is competing in more inclusive tournaments with the Inclusive Padel Tour, having already competed in Turin, Paris, Venice, Shanghai & London, with Valencia, Lisbon and Milan to go.
She is focused on elevating her game, pushing her capabilities on court and moving higher up the rankings.
UK IPT Members are now looking to bring this momentum to the UK and grow the adaptive padel community here by launching a series of inclusive tournaments across the country, starting in Nottingham at Barrio Padel on Sep 26th.
It’s an exciting community-led initiative and would love partners to come on board to support the series.
She has also been nominated for Adaptive Padel Player of the Year at the British Padel Awards, a moment that means a great deal to her as the sport continues to grow.
Sheena will continue advocating for greater visibility and accessibility in padel, and ultimately would love to see the sport recognised on the Paralympic stage. As padel expands across the UK, she believes it has a real opportunity to lead by example, ensuring adaptive athletes are part of that journey from the very beginning and receive the recognition, opportunities and investment they deserve.
Follow Sheena’s journey
Follow Sheena on Instagram at sheena.varsani, or connect with her by email at sheenavarsani@hotmail.co.uk.
by Jamie Rowe
World Padel Network
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